


Window of Opportunity

by NiennaNir



Series: Coulson Lives, but the Avengers might be the death of him. [5]
Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Bad Decisions, Gen, Other: See Story Notes, Temporary Character Death, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-21
Updated: 2020-10-16
Packaged: 2021-03-04 08:41:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 22
Words: 25,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24846973
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NiennaNir/pseuds/NiennaNir
Summary: Well, what if there is no tomorrow? There wasn't one today.
Relationships: Steve Rogers & Tony Stark
Series: Coulson Lives, but the Avengers might be the death of him. [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/44995
Comments: 232
Kudos: 216





	1. 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story is a prompt fill for [Fanwork Like it's 2012 Fest](https://cap-ironman.dreamwidth.org/2077232.html): Groundhog Day  
> I haven't revisited the early days of Coulson Lives in a good long while and I hadn't intended to, but the chance was just too good to pass up. If you're just joining us, this story stands alone and you won't need to read any of the rest of the series. You're cordially invited to do so, however.  
>   
> Please be advised that, due to the nature of temporal casualty a number of temporary warnings apply. If you don't want the spoilers, move along now.  
> _  
>   
> Still here? Everyone dies at least once, but they're alive again in the next loop, no one will die permanently. There is also an instance where Steve attempts to end the loop by sacrificing himself. He is not successful.

**08:03**

“Earth to Cap,” Steve blinked at the fingers snapping in front of his face before tilting his head to look blearily up at Stark who was frowning down at him.

“What?” Steve said squinting.

“Man are you not getting any sleep?” Clint asked, taking an unreasonably large bite of his Cheerios as he stared at Steve across the kitchen table.

“Rough night,” Steve replied. He watched as Natasha crossed the kitchen behind Hawkeye, smacking him lightly in the back of the head. 

“Chew your food you swine,” she said, rolling her eyes as Clint grinned up at her, his cheeks stuffed with breakfast cereal like a squirrel stocking up for winter.

“Better fuel up, Cap,” Tony ribbed, stuffing his mug into the k-cup machine and jamming the button. “We’ve got to be at SHIELD in an hour.” Steve stifled a groan, rubbing his eyes.

“Hawkeye,” Steve began but the archer cut him off.

“No,” Clint waggled his spoon at Steve with a scowl. “Whatever it is the answer’s no.” Steve let out a huff, resting his forehead in his palm as if his head were too heavy for his neck to hold.

“Can you say no to a national treasure?” Tony asked sarcastically. “Isn’t that like drawing dicks on the Statue of Liberty?

“You would know,” Natasha pointed out, pulling a mug out of the cupboard.

“Good times,” Tony nodded with a nostalgic smile, taking a sip of his coffee. Steve turned to stare at him in horror.

“You drew graffiti on the Statue of Liberty?” he asked, appalled.

“No, on you,” Clint replied, wadding up a napkin and tossing it at Steve. It bounced off his forehead, rolling down the table. “When you fell asleep in the rec room on Movie Night.”

“I wondered what that was,” Steve said with a frown.

“We’re leaving for SHIELD in thirty minutes,” Phil announced, appearing in the kitchen doorway, Bruce trailing after him, all his attention focused on the Stark Pad he was carrying. 

“Coulson,” Steve turned to him with a frown.

“No,” Phil said, though he didn’t look nearly as stubborn about it as Clint had.

“Are you honestly trying to get out of your responsibilities?” Tony asked, thinly veiled glee sparking in his eyes.

“Alpha Strike makes me tense,” Steve admitted, his brow knitting. “What is wrong with those guys, everything is a contest.”

“You do bring out the testosterone in everyone,” Natasha observed, a smirk curling her lips “Except maybe Bruce.”

“What did I do?” Bruce asked as he poured hot water into a mug. He didn’t seem particularly interested in the answer.

“You want to get into a contest with Cap?” Clint asked with a lewd grin. “I got a ruler.”

“Certainly,” Bruce agreed, nodding. “I’ll just slam my hand in the dishwasher.”

“We are not doing that again,” Phil objected with a frown.

“It was an accident,” Clint protested. “I said I was sorry.”

“You lose this round, Cap,” Natasha observed serenely. “We don’t call him the Big Guy for nothing.”

“And all of manhattan can confirm it,” Bruce agreed serenely as Steve’s ears turned red.

“Natasha?” Steve turned to her but she only gave him a stony look in reply and he shut his mouth.

“Stephen Grant Rogers I am shocked and appalled.” Tony declared with a profane grin.

“And a little turned on,” Natasha added.

“Maybe a little,” Tony nodded in agreement. “Don’t tell Pepper.”

“It genuinely concerns me,” Bruce said, pausing to take a sip of his tea. “That you think she believes that there are people who are not turned on in close proximity to Captain America.” Steve let his head thump against the table.

“Hey, asexuality is a thing, you’re a science guy, read up on it,” Clint said. Bruce seemed to consider this a moment before shrugging. Clint paused with his spoon half way to his mouth, staring at Steve whose face was still pressed into the table. “Cap I haven’t got anything on my schedule today, I’ll go with you to the Strike briefing.” Natasha let out a cough that sounded like ‘kissass’.

“Are you sure?” Steve asked, lifting his head to look up at him with obvious relief.

“You look like shit, man,” Clint replied, drinking the milk out of the bottom of his bowl in two gulps. “And you’re right those guys are a handful. You run the briefing, I’ll keep them from being total assholes.”

“Thanks Clint,” Steve said with genuine gratefulness.

“Shoes are not optional,” Phil reminded, glancing down at Tony’s bare feet before giving Clint a meaningful look. 

“They are if I want them to be,” Tasha shrugged, flopping into the chair beside Clint and propping her fuzzy red slippers on the corner of the kitchen table. No one said anything.

* * *

**11:46**

“I don’t get why he needles you one minute and acts like he’s kissing your ass the next,” Clint shook his head, lengthening his stride to keep up with Steve as he fairly stormed down the halls of SHIELD

“Don’t know, don’t care.” Steve replied churlishly, mashing the button for the elevator. “I just want to get the rest of my team and get the hell out of here before things get any worse.” The lift opened, spilling out half a dozen junior agents. 

“Don’t touch anything, you’re going to break something,” Clint said, his brow furrowing as he pressed the button for R&D. Steve leaned back against the wall with a wince.

“Sorry, I shouldn’t take it out on you,” he apologized. Clint opened his mouth to reply but seemed to rethink his words.

“Look, I know I got no room to talk,” he said finally. “But are you okay?”

“I don’t sleep a lot normally,” Steve admitted with a sigh. “If I miss more than a night I really feel it.”

“So when did you sleep last?” Clint asked with a concerned frown.

“I got a couple of hours on Saturday,” Steve replied. Clint made a face.

“You maybe want to talk to Bruce about that,” Clint suggested hesitantly.

“He’s not that kind of doctor,” Steve said drily. “And drugs don’t work.” The elevator doors opened and he headed down the hall.

“I was thinking more alternative stress management.”

“I’m not stressed.”

“Right,” Hawkeye nodded slowly, drawing the word out.

They had just turned the corner when a low, resounding boom rattled the floor beneath their feet.

“No,” Hawkeye whined plaintively. The pair of them stood still as stone as the emergency sirens began blaring, followed by a feral, enraged howl. Clint and Steve stared at each wide eyed for only a moment. 

“Oh this day just gets better and better!” Steve said angrily as they ran down the corridor toward the acrid smell of chemical fire. Blue-black smoke billowed through the air as SHIELD agents poured from the R&D labs with frightened, frantic eyes.

“Stark!” Steve slid across the floor, casting aside an entire lab bench that was laying on top of a leg in a bespoke suit.

“Did we win?” Tony asked, clutching his head as Steve propped him up.

“Do we have a plan on what to do without a Thor?” Clint asked, kneeling beside them in the debris that had once been a SHIELD lab. Several yards away though a couple of walls the Hulk was beating the steel containment doors with what appeared to be a crumpled anaerobic chamber.

“Um,” Tony waved his hand to the left then the right, his head following about a second behind it. “The Nightcap is.... did someone blow up the lab?” 

“If I find out it was you, nothing on earth will save you,” Steve promised with a frown.

“I told you we needed more than one of those things,” Clint said, shaking his head, rifling through the pockets of his jeans.

“What’s that?” Steve asked as Clint pulled a rubber band and what looked like a bottle cap from his pocket.

“Another one of those things,” Clint replied, turning and kicking the aluminum door off of one of the bent storage cabinets.

“How are you going to administer it without getting close to him?” Steve asked, struggling to keep Tony sitting upright.

“You don’t want me to answer that question,” Clint replied, wrapping the rubber band around his fingers. “Distract him for me, yeah?”

“Hawkeye!” Steve bolted to his feet, losing his grip on Tony who flopped over into the lab debris with a grunt.

“I’m okay!” he said faintly.

Hawkeye was already on top of a row of cabinets, the metal door braced in front of him like a shield. Across the remains of the lab the Hulk turned, snorting like an enraged bull, his eyes narrowing as he honed in on Steve.

“Damn,” Steve whispered.

As he took off running he was vaguely aware of the Hulk’s howls of rage and the sound of shattering concrete, Tony talking deliriously to himself, and the still blaring shriek of the sirens.

* * *

**13:37**

“There’s no point in getting mad at Stark, he’s not the one that blew up the lab,” Phil observed, unwrapping his pastrami on rye. 

“I’m really sorry about that,” Bruce said, staring into his tomato soup with a hazy expression. The SHIELD commissary was distinctly unoccupied for the middle of the lunch rush. Most of R&D had either reported to medical or had been sent home for the day while repair crews attempted to reassemble the labs. The field agents were apparently attempting to avoid what was left of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.

“It’s not your fault either,” Steve replied grudgingly, his face resting in both hands as he leaned into the table. “How’s Hawkeye?”

“Broken ribs,” Natasha replied. She was eating what looked to be two helpings of blueberry cobbler with extra whipped cream, her feet on the corner of the table still inexplicably adorned in the fuzzy red slippers she’d been wearing at breakfast. “Don’t worry, SHIELD medical has great tech, he’ll be good as new in a week.”

“Eat something, Captain,” Phil prodded gently.

“I’m down to four team members,” Steve said as if he hadn’t heard him.

“You’re down to three,” Bruce said apologetically. “You’re going to have to bench me until at least tomorrow.” Steve leaned back in his chair, rubbing his eyes.

“Tony can handle a concussion, Cap,” Natasha soothed. “He’ll be back to being an obnoxious pest by lunch tomorrow. Now eat your grilled cheese.” Phil’s phone rang and he fished it from his pocket.

“Director?” 

Steve froze with his sandwich half way to his mouth as Coulson frowned. 

“Sir, the Avengers,” Whatever Phil was about to say was cut off. “Yes, sir.”

“Put me in coach, I’m ready to play,” Bruce declared, hauling himself out of his chair on shaky legs as Steve dropped his sandwich to his plate, overturning his chair in his haste. Natasha was already on her feet, her slippers slapping against the tile as she ran for the door.

“We’re wheels up in five!” Coulson said, hanging up his phone and grabbing Bruce’s arm as he hurried after Steve.

* * *

**14:57**

“Banner, anything?” Steve asked, turning down the empty corridor, checking the half open door.

“I can’t seem to get a position,” Bruce replied, his voice sounding strained and exhausted. “I know it’s somewhere in the building but I can’t narrow it down.”

“Widow?” Steve prompted with a sigh.

“I’ve cleared the top floors, I’m on my way back down,” She replied.

“The last of the staff just cleared the checkpoint,” Phil added. “We’re going to move them out to the hanger on the landing strip.”

“Send me anyone you have with experience in radiometric detection,” Bruce said. “I need the help.”

“Will do,” Phil replied.

“Coulson, does this facility have a basement?” 

“There isn’t one on the specs,” Natasha replied. “I’ve memorized the blueprints of every single SHIELD facility.”

“Of course you have,” Steve muttered. “So, if there isn’t a basement, anyone have any ideas why the elevator has a B1 through B3?”

“Oh boy,” Coulson sighed.

“You take two, I’ll take three we’ll meet on one,” Natasha said, appearing at his shoulder. He tried very hard not to jump and nearly succeeded. 

“Is that because you think it’s on three and you want dibs or because you think it’s on one and you want backup?” Steve asked. Natasha gave him a bland smile, boarding the lift as the doors opened, pressing the button for B3.

“One of these times you’re going to do that and I’m-”

“You’re going to swing and miss,” Natasha interrupted giving him a demure smile as the doors opened. “Don’t get into trouble without me.” The doors closed again and he leaned into the wall a moment.

“My team’s crazy,” Steve muttered under his breath. The doors opened on B2 and he stepped out into the silent, darkened room.

“It’s pretty bare here,” Steve said, his voice echoing around the cavernous space. “If I had a guess I’d say it used to be a development area for large artillery or vehicles, it’s just storage now.” He looked down, scraping his boot over the floor.

“No footprints in the dust,” He added. “I don’t think anyone’s been here in years.”

“Hey, Cap,” Natasha’s voice came over the com.

“Go ahead Widow,” he said.

“The problem isn’t on B1.”

“Son of a bitch,” Steve hissed, spinning on his foot and racing back for the elevator. He was a floor below in only seconds, darting out and down the hall as the sounds of gunfire peppered the air.

“Widow, report!” He snapped, rounding the corner at the end of the hall, his shield raised.

“Widow!” Phil prompted when there was no reply.

“North corridor, last door on the left,” Natasha replied, her voice thin.

“Widow status!” Phil ordered, a franticness leaching into his tone. “Widow!”

Steve rounded the last corner into the North corridor, slamming the door open with his shield. A blinding flash erupted, so hot it felt as if it were searing his skin, the light expanding until it seemed as if it would envelope the whole world.

He was too late.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title is taken from Stargate: SG-1 s4e6  
> The summary is a Bill Murray quote from Groundhog Day (1993)


	2. 2

**08:03**

“Earth to Cap,” Steve blinked at the fingers snapping in front of his face before tilting his head to look blearily up at Stark who was frowning down at him.

“What just happened?” Steve said squinting suspiciously.

“Man are you not getting any sleep?” Clint asked, taking an unreasonably large bite of his Cheerios as he stared at Steve across the kitchen table.

“Rough,” Steve paused, rubbing his forehead with a frown. “Rough night.” He watched as Natasha crossed the kitchen behind Hawkeye, smacking him lightly in the back of the head. 

“Chew your food you swine,” she said, rolling her eyes as Clint grinned up at her, his cheeks stuffed with breakfast cereal like a squirrel stocking up for winter.

“Better fuel up, Cap,” Tony ribbed, stuffing his mug into the k-cup machine and jamming the button. “We’ve got to be at SHIELD in an hour.” Steve turned in his chair, giving Stark a wary look before turning back to the table, watching Barton for a long silent moment.

“Hawkeye?” Steve said, his frown deepening.

“No,” Clint waggled his spoon at Steve with a scowl. “Whatever it is the answer’s no.” Steve reached up, laying his palm over his forehead.

“Can you say no to a national treasure?” Tony asked sarcastically. “Isn’t that like drawing dicks on the Statue of Liberty?

“You would know,” Natasha pointed out, pulling a mug out of the cupboard.

“Good times,” Tony nodded with a nostalgic smile, taking a sip of his coffee. Steve’s eyes widened in alarm, staring at Tony and Natasha with a growing sense of panic.

“Dude are you losing it?” Clint asked, wadding up a napkin and tossing it at Rogers. Steve’s hand shot out, snagging it out of the air while still facing away from the table. Clint let out a low, impressed whistle.

“We’re leaving for SHIELD in thirty minutes,” Phil announced, appearing in the kitchen doorway, Bruce trailing after him, all his attention focused on the Stark Pad he was carrying. 

“Coulson,” Steve turned to him with a frown.

“No,” Phil said, though he didn’t look nearly as stubborn about it as Clint had.

“Are you honestly trying to get out of your responsibilities?” Tony asked, thinly veiled glee sparking in his eyes. Steve turned wide eyes on him.

“I’ve done this before,” he said, the words thin and strained.

“Everyone’s had to do a Strike coordination briefing before,” Clint said rolling his eyes. “It doesn’t get you out of doing it again, believe me. They don’t get any easier to deal with either, especially Alpha.”

“Cap does bring out the testosterone in everyone,” Natasha observed, a smirk curling her lips “Except maybe Bruce.”

“What did I do?” Bruce asked as he poured hot water into a mug. He didn’t seem particularly interested in the answer.

“You want to get into a contest with Cap?” Clint asked with a lewd grin. “I got a ruler.”

“Certainly,” Bruce agreed, nodding. “I’ll just slam my hand in the dishwasher.”

“We are not doing that again,” Phil objected with a frown.

“It was an accident,” Clint protested. “I said I was sorry.”

“You lose this round, Cap,” Natasha observed serenely. “We don’t call him the Big Guy for nothing.”

“And all of manhattan can confirm it,” Bruce agreed serenely.

“No, I mean I’ve done this. I’ve done _this_ before,” Steve insisted, his eyes wide. “This morning. I’ve done this morning before. It’s like I’ve traveled back in time!”

Clint glared at him sulkily. “Now I feel really stupid for never trying to fake insanity to get out of a Strike briefing.”

“Stephen Grant Rogers I am shocked and appalled.” Tony declared with a profane grin.

“And a little turned on,” Natasha added.

“Maybe a little,” Tony nodded in agreement. “Don’t tell Pepper.”

“It genuinely concerns me,” Bruce said, pausing to take a sip of his tea. “That you think she believes that there are people who are not turned on in close proximity to Captain America.”

“You’re not listening,” Steve said, his breathing ragged as he shot to his feet, turning over his chair. “There’s something wrong. Something. We were on a mission and there was this bright light and then I was back here at breakfast. The same breakfast as this morning!”

“Wow,” Tony said, looking vaguely alarmed as Clint paused with his spoon half way to his mouth, staring at Steve 

“Cap I haven’t got anything on my schedule today, I’ll go with you to the Strike briefing,” Clint offered warily.

“No! You can’t go into SHIELD, you’ll break your ribs!” Steve spun on his heel, his eyes wide as he leveled a finger at Bruce. “And you need to close down the R&D labs because there’s going to be an accident. And you can’t be there!”

  
  
  


“Okay,” Tony nodded slowly, reaching over and giving Steve a cautious pat on the back. “Why don’t we just go down to the lab and run a few tests and see if we can’t figure out what’s going on here.”

“You believe me?” Steve asked, surprise in his tone as Tony steered him out into the hall.

“Hey I’ve seen some weird shit, Cap,” Tony replied, blasé as he pressed the elevator button. “I’ll believe anything at this point. But one thing I know is science sorts out everything.”

“Thanks Stark,” Steve said, his shoulders sagging in relief. 

“Don’t mention it,” Tony said, prodding him into the lift. “JARVIS, Code Captain Pike.”

The doors slammed shut as Tony took a step back.

“Did you just put Captain America in the Hulk Cage?” Bruce asked from the kitchen doorway with a frown.

“That is a sad, messed up man,” Tony replied, nodding slowly.

“Great, now what do we do,” Clint asked, folding his arms over his chest as he slumped against the doorframe beside Bruce.

“I should run some tests on him,” Bruce said, his brow knitting in concern.

“I’ll reschedule the Strike briefing,” Phil nodded, “Natasha, why don’t you head over to SHIELD, see if they have anything to help us.”

“I’ll go along,” Tony nodded. “Crazy Train never said I couldn’t go.” Bruce gave him a condescending look.

“Just in case,” Tony added.

“Shoes are not optional,” Phil reminded, glancing down at Tony’s bare feet.

“They are if I want them to be,” Tasha shrugged, sashaying down the hall in her fuzzy red slippers.

* * *

**11:44**

“Let me the hell out of here!” Steve shouted, his fist connecting with the diamond glass of the Hulk Cage. The observation room had been fitted out as a makeshift lab, holograms of biometric data floating around Bruce as he frowned.

“I don’t know,” he shook his head, glancing at the Hulk Cage. “I can’t find anything wrong with him. None of the scans show anything, the blood tests are clear, I’m not picking up any radiation.”

“Well, whatever’s wrong with him it’s not getting any better,” Clint observed from his spot on one of the lab benches, his legs crossed and his bow in hand, an arrow fitted to the string.

“Will you listen to me!” Steve snarled angrily. “There’s going to be an accident in R&D at SHIELD in just a couple of minutes! You have to call over there and have the labs shut down!”

“Captain the lab Stark and Banner were scheduled to be consulting with today has been repurposed and the regular projects placed on hold,” Phil said placatingly, frowning down at his Stark Pad. “All of the scientists in that work group are collaborating on this project now, trying to help us determine what’s wrong.”

“Nothing’s wrong with me!” Steve insisted. “It’s some kind of time travel, didn’t you ever read comic books?”

“Oh does he!” Clint grinned. Phil shot him a perturbed look. “Look, Cap, time travel isn’t possible, particle causality alone would make it unachievable. It’s just fiction.” Bruce blinked at him blankly for a long moment.

“What?” Clint asked with a frown. Bruce arched his eyebrows, turning back to the cage.

“It’s much more likely that it’s some form of psychotropic effect,” Bruce said mildly. “I want you to think really carefully about the last twenty-four hours, did you encounter anything or anyone unusual.”

“You think I’m hallucinating,” Steve said with a frown.

“I didn’t say that,” Bruce replied.

“The last time I did this Hawkeye and I did the Strike briefing and we came down to the labs. An explosion went off, the Hulk showed up, Stark got a concussion and Hawkeye broke four ribs.”

“Hawkeye’s here and he’s going to be just fine,” Bruce said placatingly. “And so am I.”

“I really hate to ask this,” Clint said, his voice a low murmur that wasn’t meant to carry through the cage walls. “But is it possible that the super soldier serum is making him...” he wobbled his hand from side to side.

“It’s not impossible,” Bruce admitted grudgingly. “Which is a terrifying thought. If that’s it I don’t think there’s any way to reverse it.”

“We better get this sorted out fast,” Coulson whispered. “Because if we’re going to have to contain Captain America long term this isn’t going to be adequate.” His phone rang and he let out a sigh, fishing it from the pocket of his jacket.

“Coulson,” he frowned, pinching the bridge of his nose. His head snapped up, his eyes going wide. “What did you just say?” Bruce looked up from his Stark Pad with an uneasy expression

Coulson’s face was as white as a sheet, his breathing uneven as he stared first at Hawkeye, then at Rogers who had both hands pressed to the glass of the cage. He hung up without saying another word, his jaw hanging open slightly.

“There was an explosion,” he said finally. “In the lab where Stark was working. Natasha’s unconscious, she has a broken arm and a fractured skull.”

“What?” Clint asked, horrified.

“Stark was working on the side of the lab nearest the blast,” Coulson added. “They don’t know if he’s going to make it.” Steve leaned his head into the wall, his stomaching pitching. It was a moment before he realized the door of the cage had opened. He looked up to find the remains of his team staring at him with shocked expressions.

“Last time,” he began, his voice cracking. “Last time Stark had a concussion.”

“It’s the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle,” Clint replied. “If you change the core events you affect related outcomes in unanticipated ways.” Bruce stared at him, slack-jawed.

“What?” he demanded.

“In one hour and,” Steve looked down at his watch. “thirty-seven minutes we’re going to get a call out. Gravimetric distortion at a SHIELD facility called the Clubhouse.”

“None of this explains why you’re remembering things that haven’t happened yet,” Bruce pointed out in frustration.

“No, but if we get there before we’re actually called out maybe you could get some readings,” Clint pointed out. “Give us some idea of what’s going on here.”

“We need to move now,” Phil nodded, looking ill. “Before the director realizes that Captain America can see the future.”

“Wheels up in five,” Steve nodded as they turned to look at him. Clint headed for the door to prep the jet as Bruce started packing up equipment.

“There’s no guarantee that we’ll be able to stop it from happening again,” Phil said. “But if we can.”

“I’m not prepared to sacrifice Stark,” Steve replied with a frown.

“We might not get a choice,” Phil replied.

* * *

  
  


**14:42**

“Banner, anything?” Steve asked, turning down the empty corridor, checking the half open door.

“I can’t seem to get a position,” Bruce replied, his voice sounding strained. “I know it’s somewhere in the building but I can’t narrow it down.”

Steve looked over his shoulder at Hawkeye who was trailing a pace behind him, his bow half drawn as they swept the building.

“Coulson?” Steve prompted gritting his teeth.

“Security says they’ve cleared the top floors,” he replied. “I’m pulling them out of the building now. The last of the staff just cleared the checkpoint.”

“We’re ahead of the game this round then,” Steve nodded, reaching out to hit the elevator call button.

“Where are you headed?” Phil asked.

“Basement three,” Steve replied.

“This facility doesn’t have basement levels,” Phil said.

“Yep,” Steve nodded, pressing the button as he and Hawkeye boarded the lift.

“So, you said last time Tasha called in for backup and when you arrived there was a flash and then bang you were back at breakfast.” Clint said, positioning himself in the corner of the lift beside the door.

“That’s about it,” Steve nodded, taking up the spot on the other side.

“So why wasn’t Nat caught up in this time loop effect or whatever it is?” he asked.

“There was gunfire,” Steve admitted hesitantly.

“She didn’t make it,” Clint said in a cool detached tone that sounded completely fake.

“I don’t know that for sure,” Steve replied.

“But it’s a fair guess.” He didn’t make eye contact but Steve had no delusions about how closely Hawkeye was watching him. “I’ll take high, you... roll in like a boulder going down hill like you normally do.” Steve let out a huff that wanted to be a laugh as the door dinged, he charged out of the lift, his sidearm drawn and his shield raised in front of him.

“North corridor, last door on the left,” he said, checking the room on the right as Hawkeye checked the one on the left.

They rounded the last corner into the North corridor, and Steve signaled to Hawkeye before slamming the door open with his shield, charging into the room.

“Son of a bitch,” Steve hissed.

“Someone’s caught in the time loop besides you, Cap,” Hawkeye observed, looking around the empty room.

“Banner, have you got anything?” Steve demanded. “Anything at all?”

“I don’t know, maybe?” Bruce replied. “I know the signal’s coming from the south side of the building somewhere near the ground level.”

“Basement one,” Steve said, turning on his heel and running back toward the lift. “I’ve never been on basement one.” 

“Swell!” Hawkeye replied cheerfully, sliding into the lift behind him as the doors closed and Steve slammed his hand over the button for B1.” The doors opened and they charged out, taking the first turn to the south. 

They rounded the corner as a blinding flash erupted, so hot it felt as if it were searing his skin, the light expanding until it seemed as if it would envelope the whole world.

  
  



	3. 3

**08:03**

“Earth to Cap,” Steve blinked at the fingers snapping in front of his face before tilting his head to look blearily up at Stark who was frowning down at him. He stared a long moment in silence, watching as Stark’s frown deepened.

“Man are you not getting any sleep?” Clint asked, taking an unreasonably large bite of his Cheerios as he stared at Steve across the kitchen table. Steve didn’t answer, watching out of the corner of his eye as Natasha crossed the kitchen behind Hawkeye, smacking him lightly in the back of the head. 

“Chew your food you swine,” she said, rolling her eyes as Clint grinned up at her, his cheeks stuffed with breakfast cereal like a squirrel stocking up for winter.

“Better fuel up, Cap,” Tony ribbed, stuffing his mug into the k-cup machine and jamming the button. “We’ve got to be at SHIELD in an hour.” Steve let out a breath, eying each of them as if he expected them to explode.

“Cap, not going to lie, you’re starting to wig me out a little bit,” Clint said, his brow knitting in concern, Natasha turned to look at him with a frown as Stark glanced up from his coffee.

“Have you ever been in a situation where every move you’re about to make is going to be a bad one?” Steve asked cautiously. 

“Every single time I’ve had to hold a Strike briefing,” Clint replied with a frustrated huff, turning back to his cheerios. 

“SHIELD has a type,” Natasha observed in agreement.

“You drew dicks on my face on Movie Night,” Steve said, turning to point at Tony with a detached expression. Stark blinked back at him in surprise, his eyebrows disappearing into his hair. He turned the accusatory finger on Hawkeye without turning. “Do not throw that at me.” 

Clint froze in place, his raised hand clutching his balled up napkin. He blinked slowly at the back of Steve’s head for a long moment but he didn’t move otherwise.

“We’re leaving for SHIELD in thirty minutes,” Phil announced, appearing in the kitchen doorway, Bruce trailing after him, all his attention focused on the Stark Pad he was carrying. 

“I need you all to listen to me very carefully,” Steve declared, slowly rising to his feet. “At 3:15 today on a mission I’m going to encounter a...” he paused, snapping his fingers several times before pointing at Hawkeye.

“A causality loop,” he continued. “I’m reliving the same seven hours and twelve minutes over and over. I need your help to figure out why and how we can stop it and I need you to trust me or one of you could be injured in the process.”

“Okay,” Tony nodded slowly, reaching over and giving Steve a cautious pat on the back as Clint stared mutely, his hand still partially tased to take aim. Rogers glanced out of the corner of his eye to see Natasha, Bruce, and Phil watching at him with varying degrees of alarm.

“Why don’t we just go down to the lab,” Tony continued.

“Do not put me in the Hulk Cage,” Steve said, narrowing his eyes at Stark with a sour expression.

“Okay,” Tony replied, nodding slowly and taking a step back from him. “JARVIS, Code: Doc Brown.” There was the sizzle-pop of an electric charge and Steve went down like a sack of bricks.

“You tasered Captain America.” Phil said, looking down at the crumpled form of Steve Rogers splayed out on the kitchen floor.

“Don’t tell me he wasn’t freaking you out!” Tony replied, “You’ve threatened to tase me for less!”

“Great, now what do we do?” Clint asked, pitching his napkin into the trash bin across the room with more than the necessary force. “And we better do it quick because that’s not going to hold him long.”

“I should run some tests on him,” Bruce said, his brow knitting in concern.

“Help me roll him into the elevator,” Tony replied, taking hold of one of Steve’s arms. “Jay can drop him in the Hulk Cage.”

“He is going to be so pissed when he wakes up,” Natasha observed, grabbing both legs as Clint took his other arm.

“Eh, when isn’t he pissed?” Tony shrugged, dragging Steve out into the hall.

* * *

**11:42**

“I don’t know,” Bruce shook his head. “I can’t find anything wrong with him. None of the scans show anything, the blood tests are clear, I’m not picking up any radiation.”

“Well, whatever’s wrong with him it’s not getting any better,” Clint observed from his spot on one of the lab benches, his legs crossed and his bow in hand, an arrow fitted to the string as he stared at the Hulk Cage on the other side of the lab. Rogers was sitting on the floor, his back against the wall as he glared angrily at them.

“It’s getting unnerving that all he does is sit there and stare,” Tony observed.

“Is it a possibility that he might be telling the truth?” Natasha asked curiously, watching Steve.

“Time travel isn’t possible,” Clint and Tony said in unison. Tony waved an amused hand at him.

“Matter’s a constant in the universe,” Clint explained. “You can’t create it and you can’t destroy it and your body is in a perpetual state of atomic change. You’re never the same atoms twice. So if you went back in time you’d create an atomic paradox.”

“And that’s bad?” Natasha asked with a hint of amusement.

“Seriously, who the hell are you?” Tony asked with a frown.

“I’m a guy with a bow,” Clint said with a grin.

“Right,” Bruce nodded.

“Call Coulson.”

They turned to see Steve standing at the door of the Hulk Cage, both hands pressed to the glass.

“Call Coulson,” Steve repeated, his entire body tense. “The coverage down in the labs is awful, he’ll have to go clear down to the break room to get a decent signal.”

“He wouldn’t have that problem if he’d just let me give him a StarkPhone,” Tony declared bitterly.

“How did you know he was in R&D?” Natasha asked with a frown.

“Because that’s how this day’s been going so far,” Steve replied, his expression stony. “Repeatedly.”

“Have we got any theories?” Stark asked. Banner shrugged in reply.

“Some form of environmental psychotropic effect,” he suggested, looking unsure. “Maybe?” Tony seemed to consider this a moment before turning to Steve.

“You bump into anything potentially alien or otherwise weird lately, Capcicile?” He asked, approaching the cage.

“Stark I know you think I’m hallucinating,” Steve said leaning into the glass. “But I’m begging you, call Coulson and tell him to stay clear of the labs for the next twenty minutes, that’s all I’m asking.” Tony gave him a shifty look before retreating.

“Stark!” Steve struck the diamond glass with one fist. “Damn it! Call Coulson!”

“I really hate to ask this,” Clint said, his voice a low murmur that wasn’t meant to carry through the cage walls. “But is it possible that the super soldier serum is making him...” he wobbled his hand from side to side.

“Well, thank you for that bit of nightmare fuel!” Tony replied.

“It’s not impossible,” Bruce admitted grudgingly. “If that’s it, I don’t think there’s any way to reverse it.”

“Well we’re going to have to think of something” Tony replied. “Because I built the Cage to hold Big Green, not Red White and Bad Tempered.” Natasha’s phone rang and she spirited it from an unseen pocket, flicking it on.

“Director, you have something for us?” Natasha froze, there was no other shift in her expression but the others turned to look at her with alarm all the same.

“Tasha?” Clint’s voice cracked and she reached out, taking his hand. Steve closed his eyes, turning and sinking down to the floor, his head on his knees.

“Yes, sir,” Natasha said in an emotionless tone, disconnecting the call. “There was an explosion in the labs, Coulson’s in a coma.”

“What?” Clint asked his eyes wide as he clung to her hand with white knuckles.

“You called it the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle,” Steve replied from where he was sitting on the floor. 

“Cap?” Natasha prompted, crossing the lab to kneel on the floor outside the cage.

“Every time I try to change it, it only gets worse,” Steve said in a shaky voice.

“He’s not dead,” Natasha replied bracingly. “Cap, what’s going on?”

“Oh, now you believe me,” he said, closing his eyes.

“Now I believe you,” she agreed, reaching up to punch in the unlock code. “What happens next.”

“We’re called out to the Clubhouse in an hour and a half,” He replied. “Some sort of Gravimetric distortion, but we can’t get a position on it and whoever’s causing it, they’re stuck in the loop with me. Last time they moved.”

“What you’re describing could take hours, even days to really sort out,” Bruce frown. “How long do we have until the loop starts over?” 

“3:15,” Steve said. “We have the five of us this time, we might be able to get eyes on before the next loop starts.” 

“Wheels up in five,” Tony nodded, clapping Clint on the shoulder.

* * *

**14:43**

“Banner, anything?” Steve asked, turning down the empty corridor, checking the half open door.

“I can’t seem to get a position,” Bruce replied, his voice sounding strained. “I know it’s somewhere in the building but I can’t narrow it down.”

“Widow and I have cleared floors three and four,” Hawkeye said “The staff’s been evacuated, we’re heading down to two.” Steve glanced over at Iron Man who had just cleared the room on the right.

“We’re heading down to the basement levels,” Steve said, reaching out to hit the elevator call button.

“There isn’t a basement at this facility,” Natasha replied over their coms. “I’ve memorized the blueprints.”

“Imagine that,” Steve replied, his hand hovering over the buttons.

“Which floor?” Stark asked. 

“It was B3, then it was B1” Steve replied, his hand still hovering over B2. Tony reached around him, mashing B1.

“It’s not B2, because that’s where they haven’t been,” Iron Man replied as the elevator moved. “And it’s not B3 because that’s the next place you’d check. That leaves the same place they were last time.”

“You think so?” Steve asked warily as the doors opened and they scanned the hall ahead from either side of the door.

“Anyone smart enough to build a time loop machine is smart enough to make decent tactical choices,” he replied with a shrug, checking each of the rooms they passed.

“I can’t believe we’re discussing time loop machines,” Steve said as they swept down the hall.

“I can’t believe you tried to convince me you’d been caught in a time loop by telling me I had to listen to you or else,” Iron Man replied with a note of sarcasm. “Yet here we are.”

“You have a better idea I bet?” Steve asked with a frown.

“Let me give you a bit of advice, Cap,” Iron Man replied, his gauntlet raised as he checked one of the empty rooms. “You can’t appeal to my good nature, I don’t have one. If you want to convince me of anything you’re going to have to use cold, hard science to do it.”

“You know, my word and good name used to be worth something,” Steve said with a wry smile. 

“So did mine,” Iron Man replied. “But I drank it.” Steve shook his head, trying not to smile.

“So tell me how I convince you that I’m in a causality loop,” he said.

“Freezer Pop, if I had any idea how you were going to manage that I’d have told you already,” Stark huffed. He turned to look at Rogers as they reached the last door, they both nodded and the repulser blew the door off its hinges, sending it clattering across the room.

“Whoops,” Iron Man said, the sound echoing slightly around the empty room.

“Cap we’re hot on two!” Hawkeye’s voice shouted through the coms over the sound of gunfire. Without a word Iron Man reached out, grabbing hold of Steve as he raised the shield over his head, the armor punching through the floor above them in a shatter of drywall and debris.

“Banner, it’s on two!” Steve shouted as they crashed through the next floor

“I know, I know!” Bruce replied. They burst though onto the second floor, running pell mell toward the sound of gunfire.

“What the hell,” Stark said, “Bruce are you seeing this?”

“Why, what are you seeing?” Banner asked.

“I think it’s... exotic matter,” Iron Man replied, turning to look at Steve. “Times up, Cap.”

A blinding flash erupted from one of the doors ahead, so hot it felt as if it were searing his skin, the light expanding until it seemed as if it would envelope the whole world.

  
  



	4. 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy 102nd Birthday Steve Rogers! And happy 244th birthday USA!

**08:03**

“Earth to Cap,” Steve blinked at the fingers snapping in front of his face before tilting his head to look blearily up at Stark who was frowning down at him.

“What’s exotic matter?” Steve said squinting up at him.

“Man are you not getting any sleep?” Clint asked, taking an unreasonably large bite of his Cheerios as he stared at Steve across the kitchen table.

“Exotic matter,” he repeated, ignoring the question. “What is that?” Stark stared back at him.

“Theoretical particles,” Clint replied around a mouthful. “Like the opposite of regular particles. You know, the kind that actually exist.” Tony gave him a suspicious look.

“If you were going to detect something like that how would you do it?” Steve pressed, drawing Stark’s attention away from the archer.

“You wouldn’t because it’s not real,” Clint replied as Tony reached for his freshly brewed coffee, staring into the mug thoughtfully. “Like the Easter Bunny.”

“Or Santa Claus,” Natasha added.

“Santa Claus is totally real,” Clint protested. Natasha seemed to consider this.

“You could scan for regular matter and anywhere you didn’t find it, that'd be exotic matter,” Stark replied with a slight shrug.

“Is that a thing you can do?” Steve asked.

“Yes we’re going to scan an entire galaxy of matter looking for a spot where there isn’t any,” Clint said rolling his eyes. “Good luck with the needle in that haystack.”

“What if we were only scanning one building,” Steve said, turning back to Tony. “Is that a doable scale?” Clint wadded up his napkin, tossing it at Rogers. Steve’s hand shot out, snagging it out of the air while still facing Tony and Clint let out a low, impressed whistle.

“We’re leaving for SHIELD in thirty minutes,” Phil announced, appearing in the kitchen doorway, Bruce trailing after him, all his attention focused on the Stark Pad he was carrying. 

“Big Guy, if we scanned a building for matter and got back a null reading would that qualify as confirmed exotic matter?” Tony asked, taking a sip of his coffee.

“In theory I suppose it would,” Bruce replied pensively. “What brought this on?” Stark pointed at Steve.

“Have you been sniffing glue?” Clint asked worriedly. “Because I don’t know if anyone told you but that’s not healthy.” Natasha smacked him in the back of the head.

“It’s a valid question!” Clint protested.

“I have a...” Steve paused a moment, taking in the cautious looks around the room. “A hunch about something.”

“You want to share with the class?” Natasha asked skeptically.

“Not until I’m sure,” Steve replied. “Can you do it?”

“Shouldn’t be too hard in theory,” Bruce shrugged.

“Today,” Steve added.

“Today?” Tony asked, gaping at him.

“Why today?” Coulson asked with a hint of suspicion in his tone.

“I’ll see you guys after the Strike briefing,” Steve said, draining his mug and standing to his feet. “We can meet up for lunch, quarter to twelve, my treat.” He shuffled past Natasha, heading toward the lift.

“Yeah, that was not weird at all,” Tony observed.

“Barton, can you stick on him this morning,” Coulson said with a frown. “make sure he doesn’t-”

“Completely flip his pancakes?” Stark interrupted. Phil gave him a scolding look as Clint shuffled to his feet, dumping his dishes in the sink and heading after Steve.

“Well, let's add exotic matter detector to this morning’s ‘to do’ list,” Bruce said with fake cheerfulness. 

“I’ll get my Q-36 Explosive Space Modulator,” Tony nodded.

“Shoes are not optional,” Phil reminded, glancing down at Tony’s bare feet before giving him a judging look. 

“They are if I want them to be,” Tasha shrugged, flopping into Clint’s empty chair and propping her fuzzy red slippers on the corner of the kitchen table. No one said anything.

* * *

**11:42**

“I don’t get why he needles you one minute and acts like he’s kissing your ass the next,” Clint shook his head, lengthening his stride to keep up with Steve as he hurried so quickly down the halls of SHIELD he was nearly running. Clint struggled to keep up with him.

“Really don’t care.” Steve replied shuffling around the pair of senior agents who had just stepped off the lift. “I’m starving, let’s get the team.” 

“Are you having some kind of crisis or psychotic break or something?” Clint asked, his brow furrowing as he pressed the button for R&D.“Because you’re being weird even for you.” Steve leaned back against the wall, ignoring the question.

“Look, I know I got no room to talk,” Barton continued. “Since I’m kind of the voice of experience on mental instability on this team.”

“Really?” Steve asked his brows arching curiously.

“Well,” Clint paused, giving it careful thought. “I’m at least in the top four.”

“Of a seven man team,” Steve added. “One of which isn’t on this planet.”

“Pretty sure Phil’s sane,” Clint shrugged consideringly. “Anyway, you might want to look into some stress management” The elevator doors opened and they headed down the hall.

“I’m not stressed.”

“Right,” Hawkeye nodded slowly. Steve’s pace quickened and Clint stared after him a moment before jogging to catch up.

“I’m starving, let’s eat,” Steve declared, snagging Tony by the collar of his bespoke suit and dragging him along in his wake as he headed across the lab. Several of the SHIELD technicians looked up from their work with shocked expressions.

“Hey! Hands off the merchandise!” Stark demanded, twisting ineffectually in his grasp. “This suit cost more than your education!”

“I went to public school,” Steve replied. “In the thirties. It doesn’t say much for your suit. Lunch time, Banner.”

“Just let me finish...” Bruce’s voice trailed off and he blinked rapidly as the lab bench he was working at seemed to drift out from under his hands. It took him a moment to realize Captain America was towing him across the lab on his rolling chair.

“We going somewhere?” he asked, removing his glasses and cleaning them on the corner of his lab coat as Steve tugged him toward the door.

“The pub on the corner,” Steve replied, herding Clint ahead of him out into the hall. “If we don’t get there by noon all the good tables will be gone.”

“Seriously Rogers, if you don’t stop acting like a loon I will shoot you,” Hawkeye threatened as Steve quick-marched back toward the elevators, Stark dangling like a scuffed kitten in one hand and Banner still placidly rolling along on his lab stool.

“Good luck with that,” Steve replied over his shoulder. “You don’t want to be here, Barton, and I’m out of hands, move it."

“What do you mean I don’t want to be here?” Clint asked trailing after him as he rounded the corner. As soon as he cleared the hall Steve’s hand shot out, grabbing Clint by the front of his t-shirt and nearly yanking him off his feet into the adjoining corridor.

A resounding boom rattled the floor beneath their feet and Clint toppled into Stark, knocking him into the wall as the alert sirens began blaring. Blue-black smoke billowed through the air along with the angry curses of the science division.

  
  


“What just happened?” Banner asked, still sitting on his lab stool in the middle of the hallway. Steve reached out to tow him closer to the wall. 

“You knew that was going to happen,” Tony said accusingly, poking a finger into Steve’s chest.

“I don’t know what you mean,” Steve replied blandly, his nose curling at the acrid smell of chemical fire. SHIELD agents were pouring from the R&D labs their hands and shirts covering their faces.

“Like hell you don’t!” Tony replied, scowling as they were jostled by the incoming hazmat containment team.

“Selvig!” someone shouted. “Damnit, what happened?”

“Should have known it was Selvig,” Bruce observed mildly, shaking his head.

“That man needs a vacation,” Clint agreed. “Before he goes full on super-villain. Lucky you weren’t in there, he was the next bench over from you.” Bruce frowned, turning to look at Steve with a suspicious expression.

“How did you know it was going to blow?” Tony asked, peering around the corner at the lab that was now little more than a pile of rubble.

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” Steve replied with a sigh. “Did you have any luck with the exotic matter detector?”

“Holy fuck, you’re in a causality loop,” Hawkeye said gaping at him. “That’s not even possible!”

“That is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard,” Tony insisted with a bland look.

“You don’t listen to yourself when you’re drunk then,” Clint replied, folding his arms over his chest with a condescending expression. 

“No, no I do not,” Stark nodded in agreement.

“You give me a solution that intersects foreknowledge of the future and an obsession with exotic matter, Mr. Genius,” Clint demanded. Bruce only shrugged.

“Look, not here,” Steve interrupted, glancing around. “Do we have a working exotic matter detector?”

“We have a working theory for an exotic matter detector,” Bruce replied, returning his glasses to his nose and pushing them up into place.

“Come on, back to the tower,” Steve said, herding them down the hall. “Double time. We’ve got less than an hour before we’re called out and we need something before then.”

* * *

  
  


**13:36**

“You keep running these same tests,” Steve said irritably, glaring at Banner. “And you never find anything.” Bruce only shrugged, looking back down at his Stark Pad.

“So walk me through this,” Stark hoisted himself onto the lab bench across from the exam table Steve was sitting on. “You and Romanov are casing this facility. She calls for backup.”

“Basement three,” Steve nodded. “I get there and there’s a blinding flash and then I’m back at breakfast.” 

“Fusion flash,” Clint said, folding his arms over his chest. Bruce looked up at him with a frown.

“And the second loop,” Tony prompted.

“Hawkeye and I went to basement three but there was nothing there, we went up to basement one and same thing, flash and back to the beginning.”

“And then the last time through,”

“You said they’d be on one again,” Steve replied, pointing at Stark. “Hawkeye and Widow found them on the second floor. By the time we caught up to them, flash of light.”

“If you and I were both in the room during the first loop,” Natasha said, giving him a considering look. “Why aren’t I trapped with you?”

“I think,” Steve drew in a shaky breath. “I’m pretty sure you were shot.”

“You mean I was dead?” Her expression wasn’t nearly as concerned as the statement warranted and Clint gave her a horrified grimace. Steve rubbed his face with both hands, letting out a sigh.

“Stark got a concussion in the first lab explosion and Barton broke some ribs taking down Hulk,” Steve explained. “In the second round Romanov broke her arm in the lab explosion and Stark was crushed under a collapsing wall.”

“Ow,” Tony said, with a frown as he wrapped his arms around his chest.

“And the last time Coulson was injured in the lab explosion,” Steve continued.

“Which scenario is the one where I don’t get hurt?” Clint asked. “Because I want to vote for that one next round, just saying.”

“What have you got for us?” Tony asked. Bruce handed him the Stark Pad he was holding.

“As far as I can tell there’s nothing wrong with him,” Bruce replied. “No indication that he’s been exposed to anything. He’s perfectly normal.”

“For a nonagenarian who can bench press a school bus,” Clint added.

“You told me that if I wanted you to believe me I had to use science,” Steve turned to Tony with a frown. “Last I checked quantum physics is science.”

“There’s some actual debate about that,” Clint said with a grin, Natasha elbowed him in the ribs.

“The Director’s having the Clubhouse evacuated,” Phil announced, coming into the lab. 

“Whoever or whatever’s responsible that’s not going to stop it,” Steve insisted, turning to Tony with a desperate expression. “Right before the end of the last loop you said that you’d detected something that looked like exotic matter. If we had a way to detect that sooner we might be able to find whoever’s responsible in time to stop the next loop.”

“Steve, what you’re talking about could take weeks to develop,” Bruce said with a sigh. “Even if we started at the beginning of the loop we’d only have six hours at most.”

“There’s another possibility,” Tony gave a thoughtful frown. “What if this is consequence and not design.”

“It does seem a bit crazy to invent a device that repeats the same seven hours over and over again,” Phil observed.

“Even for a SHIELD project,” Natasha added. Coulson’s shoulders rolled in a shrug.

“So they’re trying to do something else and the time loop is an unintended side effect?” Steve asked, looking bewildered.

“That does sound like a SHIELD project,” Clint nodded.

“What if we disrupt the loop?” Bruce suggested.

“How do we do that?” Phil asked.

“Well I only have two theories for that,” Tony replied, pointing at Steve. “We keep McFly here so he isn’t exposed to whatever it is at the end of the loop.”

“That could work,” Bruce nodded in agreement.

“I understood that reference,” Steve gave him an irritated look.

“If the loop is initiated by proximity to the device at the point of discharge,” Stark added. “It might be enough to snap him free.”

“Like a bootstrap paradox,” Clint nodded, turning to Steve. “It’s like if you stretch a rubber band until it breaks, the causality loop might lose integrity if we put enough strain on it.”

“Seriously?” Tony turned to him with a frown. “Who are you?” Clint gave him a profane grin.

“What’s the other theory?” Natasha asked. Bruce and Tony turned to look at each other.

“We’d have to kill Steve,” Bruce admitted hesitantly.

“Let’s not do that,” Phil said with a frown of disapproval.

“I can’t just stay here while the whole team goes out,” Steve protested. He turned to Tony leveling an accusing finger at him. “Do not have JARVIS electrocute me.”

“Wow,” Tony replied.

“It’s not your call, Cap,” Phil said gently. “Avengers, you’re wheels up in five. Captain, you’re benched. I’ll coordinate from here.”

“Jarvis, can you set me up with a connection to the Stark Satellite network?” Bruce asked, shucking his lab coat as the others headed for the door. “I’m going to try to throw something together en route.” Steve watched them go with a frustrated expression.

“Come on, Cap,” Phil said, giving his arm a squeeze. “Let’s set up surveillance.”

* * *

**14:59**

“I don’t get it, we’ve been over this facility three times,” Hawkeye said, frustration in his tone. Steve leaned back in his chair, watching the three dots, red, purple, and gold carefully move around the hologram of the Clubhouse facility.

“I can’t seem to get a position,” Bruce’s voice came over the coms. “I know it’s somewhere in the building but I can’t narrow it down.”

“This is exactly what happened last time,” Steve said, glancing over at Phil. “Iron Man, what’s happening here that we’re not detecting anything until the last minute?”

“Damned if I know, Cap,” Stark replied. “SHIELD teams have been all over this facility already, you'd think they’d have spotted something.”

“What if it’s some kind of cloaking device?” Steve asked.

“You Star Trek nerd,” Tony replied with a snort.

“I’ve cleared the top floors, I’m on my way back down,” Natasha said.

“Basement three is clear, I’m heading up,” Hawkeye added.

“Security is reporting that the last of the staff just cleared the checkpoint,” Phil said, hanging up his phone.

“If I was a mad scientist, where would I hide my time yo-yo,” Tony asked himself with a thoughtful frown.

“If?” Steve said. Stark let out a sound that might have been a laugh.

“Hey Cap,” Hawkeye interrupted. “You said storage on B2.” 

“Just crates and dust,” Steve replied.

“A lot of dust?”

“Yeah, why?”

“The floor’s clean,” Hawkeye replied.

“B2!” Steve said, sitting up and leaning closer to the holographic map. “Avengers they’re on B2!”

“Save me a seat!” Iron Man replied as Natasha snapped out a confirmation.

“Hawkeye do not engage without backup!” Steve ordered.

“Well according to you we’re about to run out of time here!” Clint said.

“Did Iron Man just punch through the floor?” Phil asked, blinking blankly.

“He does that,” Steve shrugged.

“The hell is this?” Stark declared as the gold dot came to a halt on B2.

“What are you seeing?” Steve demanded.

“I’m picking up a radiation spike,” Bruce declared, a hint of panic in his voice.

“No,” Steve gasped breathlessly as first the purple light and then the gold went out.

“Widow!” Phil exclaimed but it was too late, the red light had already disappeared from the map. “Doctor Banner!”

Steve’s hands felt as if they were being singed and he looked down. Light appeared to be pooling under his skin, expanding until it seemed as if it would envelope the whole world.

  
  



	5. 5

**08:03**

“Earth to Cap,” Steve blinked at the fingers snapping in front of his face before tilting his head to look blearily up at Stark who was frowning down at him. He stared a long moment in silence, watching as Stark’s frown deepened.

“Man are you not getting any sleep?” Clint asked, taking an unreasonably large bite of his Cheerios as he stared at Steve across the kitchen table. Steve didn’t answer, turning his head slowly to watch as Natasha crossed the kitchen behind Hawkeye, smacking him lightly in the back of the head. 

“Chew your food you swine,” she said, rolling her eyes as Clint grinned up at her, his cheeks stuffed with breakfast cereal like a squirrel stocking up for winter.

“Better fuel up, Cap,” Tony ribbed, stuffing his mug into the k-cup machine and jamming the button. “We’ve got to be at SHIELD in an hour.” Steve let out a huff of a breath, looking at each of them with a pained expression.

“Cap, not going to lie, you’re starting to wig me out a little bit,” Clint said, his spoon hovering half way to his mouth, Natasha turned to look at him with a frown as Stark glanced up from his coffee.

“Steve?” there was a carefulness in Natasha’s tone but instead of facing her he leaned into the table, covering his face with both hands.

“Cap,” Stark took the seat beside him, his hand near to Steve’s arm on the table but not touching. “This is a high stress gig, everyone hits a wall eventually, it’s not a big deal.”

“I’m fine,” Steve croaked, his voice shaky as he lowered his hands. “I just...”

“You’re not looking fine,” Tony said.

“We’re leaving for SHIELD in thirty minutes,” Phil announced, appearing in the kitchen doorway, Bruce trailing after him, all his attention focused on the Stark Pad he was carrying. Steve pushed himself slowly to his feet, looking at each of them in turn.

“Cap, is something wrong?” Coulson asked, Bruce looked up from his Stark Pad, his brow knitting.

“No, I just need some fresh air,” Steve replied, his steps unsteady as he turned toward the door.

“Cap,” Tony said cautiously.

“I’m fine,” Steve turned back to him, nodding more firmly this time before heading down the hall.

“I’m freaking out,” Clint announced as the doors to the lift closed. “Anyone else freaking out?” Bruce held up his hand cautiously.

“What just happened?” Coulson asked with a frown.

“Damed if I know,” Stark replied. “He spaced out for a minute and then he looked like his dog had died.”

“And Tony didn’t even do anything to him this time,” Natasha added. Stark pointed at her as if this settled some argument.

“That’s a first,” Bruce observed, turning to Tony. “I’m impressed, that’s a level of maturity I’m not used to seeing from you.”

“Maybe you’re growing as a person,” Natasha observed, a smirk curling her lips as Tony stuck his tongue out at her.

“Has anyone noticed anything unusual about him lately?” Coulson asked, his brow knitting.

“Apart from the fact he’s a ninety year old with a body like a Greek god?” Tony asked. Natasha reached out, flicking his ear.

“I hadn’t noticed anything alarming,” She said, folding her arms over her chest. “Until about ten minutes ago I would have said he seems to be adapting.”

“Everybody has rough days,” Tony rolled his eyes, taking a gulp of his coffee. “Spangles says he’s fine, he’s fine. stay out of his business.” 

“I don’t care what he says,” Clint insisted. “When Captain America almost cries at breakfast there is definitely something really wrong there.”

“JARVIS, could you keep an eye on him?” Phil asked.

“I’m afraid, Agent Coulson, that he took the express elevator to the lobby and has already exited the building,” JARVIS replied.

“On to Park?” Tony asked, genuine concern furrowing his brow.

“Into the terminal,” JARVIS replied.

“Why would he get on the subway?” Phil asked with a frown. Tony scowled.

“I don’t know but I’m betting it’s not good,” he replied. “JARVIS, find him.” There was an awkward pause as they all exchanged wary looks.

“Sir!” There was a franticness in the AI’s voice. “He’s jumped the gate at track two!” Natasha and Clint were already off and running for the elevator.

“Isn’t that the mail platform?” Bruce asked, bewildered.

“Get the suit!” Tony shouted, bolting for the launch balcony.

  
  



	6. 6

**08:03**

“Earth to Cap,” Steve blinked at the fingers snapping in front of his face before tilting his head to look blearily up at Stark who was frowning down at him. He stared a long moment in silence, watching as Stark’s frown deepened.

“Man are you not getting any sleep?” Clint asked, taking an unreasonably large bite of his Cheerios as he stared at Steve across the kitchen table. Steve pushed his coffee mug aside, laying his forehead on the table with a shuddering breath. Natasha froze in place about to smack Clint in the back of his head. The three of them stared openly as Steve gulped in air as if he had been suffocating.

“Cap,” Stark slid into the seat beside him, his hand near to Steve’s arm on the table but not touching. “This is a high stress gig, everyone hits a wall eventually, it’s not a big deal.” 

“Exotic matter,” Steve croaked out, slowly pushing himself upright. “It’s the opposite of real matter. That’s what you said.” he pointed a trembling finger at Clint.

“Sounds like something you’d say,” Natasha observed. 

“Except that I don’t remember saying it,” Clint agreed.

“I’m caught in a causality loop,” Steve continued. “At 3:15 there’s going to be an explosion and I’m going to end up back here at breakfast if we don’t find some way to stop it. The only thing I have to go on is that right before the explosion you detect something you think is exotic matter.” He pointed at Tony.

“Okay,” Tony said cautiously.

“If you put me in the Hulk Cage or have JARVIS electrocute me the next time I loop I will spend the entire time making your life hell,” Steve said without the faintest hint of humor.

“Okay,” Tony repeated, looking even more alarmed.

“You engineered taser settings for Captain America?” Clint asked with a frown.

“Anyone can go rogue,” Tony replied defensively.

“JARVIS do not listen to him when he tells you to taser Cap,” Natasha said, sinking into the chair beside Clint with a disapproving frown. “That’s how we get Skynet.”

“I presume you’d prefer me to lock out the protocols to neutralize both yourself and Agent Barton as well?” JARVIS asked.

“No, you can taser Clint, that’s fine,” she replied.

“Cold,” Clint observed blandly. She only shrugged.

“We’re leaving for SHIELD in thirty minutes,” Phil announced, appearing in the kitchen doorway, Bruce trailing after him, all his attention focused on the Stark Pad he was carrying. 

“We can’t,” Tony said drily, “Cap’s caught in a causality loop.” 

Bruce stopped short with a stunned expression. “Is that possible?”

“Cap used both causality loop and exotic matter in a sentence correctly,” Tony replied.

“Compelling evidence,” Bruce agreed, nodding as he crossed the kitchen. He set the Stark Pad on the table and took Steve’s wrist, checking his pulse.

“Please,” Steve said, his eyes narrowing. “Explain to me how changes in my heart rate could cause this.” Bruce blinked back at him in surprise.

“Bitchy,” Clint sniggered. He let out a strangled yelp as Natasha trod on his foot.

“Exactly how many of these loops have you done?” Stark asked with a considering frown.

“A few,” Steve replied.

“What number am I thinking of then?” Clint asked skeptically.

“Sixty-nine,” Tony and Steve said simultaneously. 

“Okay, bad example,” Clint conceded.

“He was really thinking of 42,” Phil said, taking a seat at the table.

Tony slowly shook his head. “You are such a nerd.”

“Later today we’ll be called out to a SHIELD facility called the Clubhouse,” Steve said, turning to Tony. “We have no idea who or what is responsible but something there triggers the loop. If we had some way to scan for exotic matter there’s a chance we could actually find out what’s going on.”

“Steve, what you’re talking about could take weeks to develop,” Bruce said with a sigh.

“I know that,” Steve replied. “But if I memorize all the progress you make today I can carry that into the next loop.”

“Cap, do you have any idea how much data that is?” Tony asked.

“I have an eidetic memory,” Steve said. “I don’t have to fully understand it to remember it.”

“We could try-” Bruce suggested.

“We’ve tried it,” Steve cut him off. He drew in a shaky breath. “The Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle. Every time I go through the loop events change so I can’t predict all the outcomes. But in most of them some or all of you were injured. If we can just work out what’s going on maybe in a future loop we can stop it.”

“Okay, I’m convinced,” Bruce replied, nodding cautiously. “Did we make any progress in the previous loops?”

“Stark said that if we scan for matter and get a null reading that’s probably exotic matter,” Steve replied.

“That could work,” Tony replied with a frown. “I have targeting sensors on the suit. They identify the composition of what I’m shooting at before I blow it up.”

“So you don’t blow up anything combustible,” Clint nodded. “You could have shared with the class.”

“Yeah I’m thinking the armor would cramp your form,” Tony replied sarcastically. “The sensor zone is only fifty yards, that's the maximum repulser distance.”

“The Clubhouse is a big facility, we’re going to need more range and it’s going to need to work through floors,” Steve insisted.

“Well, this’ll be fun,” Tony said, heading for the door. “Come on kids, lets build us some mad science.”

* * *

  
  


**10:09**

“Yes, sir,” Coulson said, rolling his eyes ever so slightly. “I do believe him.” He allowed himself an annoyed expression at whatever Fury was saying on the other end of the line.

“So, Selvig?” Clint asked from his position sitting in the middle of one of the lab benches, his legs crossed in front of him.

“Pretty sure,” Steve nodded as Bruce peered in his ear with a scope. Steve tilted his head away, narrowing his eyes at the scientist. “You’re not going to find anything in my ear that’s going to help you!”

“Well Stark and Banner seem to think it’s at least plausible,” Phil said, pausing again. “Yes, sir, Barton agrees.”

“Barton does not agree,” Clint hissed with a scowl. Coulson waved him off.

“Why does he care what you think?” Stark demanded with a suspicious glare. Clint only shrugged.

“Every second you waste taking my blood pressure is a second you can’t help Stark work on the sensors,” Steve declared in irritation. 

“I can’t find anything wrong with him,” Bruce shook his head, turning to Tony as Coulson hung up the call, joining them. “None of the scans show anything, the blood tests are clear, I’m not picking up any radiation.”

“Where’s Natasha?” Steve asked, looking around.

“She went to SHIELD,” Coulson held up a hand before he could interrupt. “She wanted to talk to Doctor Selvig about the project he’s working on. We’ve closed down the lab and she has him in isolation. She’s safe.”

“I don’t think he’s connected,” Steve replied with a frown, rubbing his forehead. “For most of the loops he’s been in medical. We’ve got five hours to make what progress we can.”

“I’m still not buying this,” Clint shook his head. “Particle-”

“Particle causality,” Steve cut him off. “You talked about that.”

“You could have brought that up before!” Clint said, throwing both hands in the air.

“I can never figure out what’s going to work!” Steve replied in clear frustration. “On account of the Heisenberg-”

“Uncertainty Principle,” Clint said in unison glaring at Steve as he rubbed his forehead.

“Well,” Bruce observed, taking his glasses off and cleaning them on the corner of his lab coat. “This is exactly one of the reasons I settled on an exciting career in nuclear physics.”

“Really?” Tony asked.

“No.”

Tony shrugged, turning to look at Steve who was leaning into the lab bench, rubbing his forehead as if in pain. “You know, we’re going to be playing this same song over again the next time you hit the dance floor.”

“I can’t dance,” Steve answered drily.

“Well, maybe we could jump start the process by creating a protocol,” Clint suggested. “We give him a list of things to tell us when the next loop starts that will convince us.”

“That could work,” Coulson nodded reluctantly. “Particularly if we include information he can’t possibly know.”

“Personal information,” Bruce suggested. “Things we would have to tell him.”

“Would that actually convince any of you?” Steve asked with an exhausted huff.

“Don’t look at me, my entire life is on youtube,” Tony shrugged, pulling up a hologram.

“I’m deaf in my left ear,” Clint said.

“Excuse me?” Tony turned to stare at him as Bruce and Steve blinked, wide eyed. Coulson only sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Eighty-eight percent loss,” Barton continued, seemingly unconcerned as he pointed at his head. “Right’s not too bad, forty-eight percent. I have an implant in my left ear. That’s why I wear my com in my right ear, it’s fitted out with a hearing aid, I usually don’t bother wearing one in that ear out of the field.”

“You’re the guy,” Tony said, a grin spreading over his face as he wagged a finger in Barton’s direction. “The agent SHIELD special contracted for. That is some of my finest work in your skull. How’s the performance been?”

“First class,” Clint replied, giving him a thumbs up. “I did tweak the software so I could use it to pick up radio waves.”

“You did what?” Tony demanded. Clint gave him a shifty-eyed look, ignoring the question.

“You specifically told me not to bring it up,” Coulson said, narrowing his eyes at Barton. “You told me under no circumstances was I to disclose your status.”

“Which is why I’ll believe him,” Clint replied.

“Or you’ll punch me in the nose,” Phil scowled menacingly. Clint seemed to consider this a moment before flinching slightly.

“Can we focus?” Steve demanded.

“Yep, right!” Tony nodded, grabbing Bruce by his lab coat. “The Big Guy and I will get to work on modifying the suit sensors. Trumpkin, you put together the brief for Capcicle.” Clint rolled his eyes, making an inverted ‘okay’ sign in front of his chest.

“Oh, I know that one!” Steve said, pointing at him. “Asshole.” Tony turned to look at them with a gaping expression.

“This is my life,” Phil sighed, rubbing his eyes. “These were my choices.”

* * *

  
  


**15:02**

“Anyway, Selvig is a dead end,” Natasha said with a frown as she and Coulson left the lift, heading down toward the lab. “He’s been expanding on the tech he put together to close the wormholes in the battle of New York. He couldn’t give me any concrete reasons for a catastrophic failure so I called Foster and her best guess based on what Cap told us is a containment failure during a test run.”

“I keep telling Fury the man needs a vacation,” Phil shook his head. “A couple of sick days."

“A massage at the very least,” Natasha agreed. Coulson nodded, sighing. “Anyway, Bruce was supposed to be helping him work out some particle data today. Selvig’s agreed to run the next series of tests in the containment lab but that’s not going to matter when the loop starts over.”

“Something else to lose sleep over,” Phil observed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“I missed Taco Tuesday for this,” Natasha said with a scowl as they rounded the corner into the lab. Phil only shrugged. 

“Do we need to go over this again?” Tony asked.

“Don’t worry, I have it,” Steve replied, rubbing his temples. Bruce brushed his hand away, affixing a medical electrode to the middle of his forehead. “What’s all this for anyway?”

“We might get some kind of reading before you loop,” Banner replied.

“And you’re going to have time to relay that information to me so that I can take it into the next loop?” Steve asked skeptically. Tony and Bruce turned to each other, shrugging in unison.

“Selvig doesn’t seem to be responsible for anything more than a bad day,” Natasha said. “So we can write him out of the next loop.” Steve nodded.

“Just, don’t make any mistakes in the math,” Tony advised.

“The math he doesn’t understand!” Clint pointed out cheerfully. Coulson frowned at him.

“Oh, hey this is interesting!” Bruce said, looking at the readings on his Stark Pad and motioning to Tony who leaned over his shoulder.

Steve’s hands felt as if they were being singed and he looked down. Light appeared to be pooling under his skin, expanding until it seemed as if it would envelope the whole world.

  
  



	7. 7

**08:03**

“Earth to Cap,” Steve blinked at the fingers snapping in front of his face before tilting his head to look up at Stark who was frowning down at him. He stared a moment in silence, watching as Stark’s frown deepened. Without a word he bolted to his feet, making a dive for the junk drawer and fairly ripping it off its rails. He grabbed a sharpie, taking two steps back to the table as he flicked off the cap. It pinged against the pendant light, landing on the floor.

“I’m caught in a causality loop,” Steve declared as he began to carefully draw schematics on the surface of the table.

“Holy hell!” Tony said, wide eyed. “He’s finally flipped out.”

“JARVIS, do not tase me,” Steve said, frowning at the ceiling. “Override Code: Kit Walker.”

“Override code accepted,” JARVIS replied, a hint of wariness in his tone.

“At 3:15pm we’ll encounter an unknown threat at a SHIELD facility called the Clubhouse,” Steve continued to write across the table as Clint swept his cereal bowl and coffee mug out of the way. “In previous loops we determined that localizing the cause could be related to exotic matter and we’ve been developing a sensor array capable of detecting it.”

“That,” Clint said, rolling his eyes as Phil and Bruce walked into the kitchen. “Is the stupidest thing I’ve ever-”

“You have eighty-eight percent hearing loss in your left ear,” Steve declared, pointing the sharpie at him. Clint gaped back at him wide eyed as he resumed writing on the table. “Forty-eight percent in your right. You can sign but you don’t need to.” 

“How do you know that?” Coulson asked as Bruce blinked at him, frozen in place. Clint’s eyes, already narrowed, turned scathingly from Phil to Natasha.

“Don’t look at me,” she said, shaking her head as she stared down at the table Steve was still writing on.

“You’re the guy,” Tony wagged a finger in Barton’s direction, a grin spreading over his face. “The agent SHIELD special contracted for.”

“He modified the software so that he could pick up radio,” Steve informed.

“He did what?” Tony asked.

“Your love of Honky-Tonk knows no bounds,” Natasha observed.

“You’re the one with the country music fetish,” Clint objected. “Most of what I listen to is Classic Rock.”

“On million dollar Stark Ears,” Tony observed, looking appalled.

“Tony, look at this,” Bruce said, leaning over Steve’s shoulder to read the schematics.

“Okay, so if you’re in a causality loop, what number am I thinking of?” Clint demanded.

“The Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle-” Bruce said

“Sixty-Nine,” Tony said.

“Forty-two,” Steve said.

“Wow,” Clint said in a small voice, staring at him. He blinked twice, nodding slowly. “Okay, he’s legit.”

“You are such a nerd,” Tony shook his head. “Jay, start scanning in Cap’s work and converting it to a working model. And set up a countdown.”

“Right away, Sir,” Jarvis replied.

“Avengers,” Tony looked around at all of them. “Let’s get to work.”

  
  



	8. 9

**10:37**

“We’re going to have to include notes of what we try that doesn’t work,” Bruce shook his head with a frown.

“We’re definitely including  _ that _ because I’m never doing that again,” Tony agreed. “Even if I’m not going to remember it.”

“Cap?” Clint gave him a gentle prod with his elbow and Steve pried his face from the surface of the lab bench with a groan. “Man, you look like hell, when was the last time you slept?” 

“I don’t need that much sleep,” Steve replied.

“Have you slept since the loops started?” Bruce asked, his brow furrowing in concern as he looked up from his holographic display. 

“I caught a couple of cat naps in the Hulk Cage,” Steve replied, rubbing his eyes.

“How many of these loops have you done?” Tony asked curiously.

“Seven, eight?” He shrugged. Tony crossed the lab, sitting down on the chair across from him. 

“I can’t believe I’m the one saying this,” Tony admitted. “But there’s a psychological aspect to sleep, even you have to take some time for your brain to process. We’re good here for now, catch some shut-eye before the next loop.”

“Yeah you’re probably right,” Steve nodded, stifling a yawn. “I can’t afford to make mistakes. Who knows how far it could set us back.” Stark stared back at him for a long moment.

“Out of curiosity did you ever consider taking advantage of the opportunity?” he asked finally. 

Steve blinked at him blankly. “The opportunity for what?”

“When the loop ends everything resets,” Tony observed with a lazy shrug. “So no matter what you do or how badly you screwed up there would never be any consequences. Automatic do-over.” Steve and Clint both stared at him in silence. Clint’s head slowly rolled to the side as if he were trying to see something from a new angle.

“I’m going to go shoot out the windows of the Staten Island Ferry from the top of the Statue of Liberty.” Clint declared, slowly rising to his feet, a rapturous expression lighting his eyes. He turned toward the door, quickening his pace until he was nearly jogging for the elevator. 

Stark watched him go, slowly shaking his head. “There is something really wrong with him,” He didn’t seem too concerned about it. He turned back to Steve who was still watching him with narrowed eyes. Stark gave him an increasingly cautious look in return

“Take a nap,” Tony said finally, suspicion furrowing his brow. “We’ll wake you with enough time to memorize everything before the next loop starts.” 

  
  



	9. 12

**11:43**

“Hey Coulson,” Iron Man zipped down over Central Park, heading toward a crowd gathering around Bethesda Fountain. He winced at a flash of red white and blue in the middle of the throng. “I think I found him.”

“Well thank god for that!” Coulson replied. “What’s happening?”

“Um, Jay?”

“Yes, Sir?” Jarvis replied.

“Cut coms to Coulson so I don’t have to answer that and if he rings you, tell him I’m having technical difficulties,” Tony replied, pulling up to hover over the ground. He was pretty sure he wasn’t imagining the judgmental tone of the silence that followed.

Below him in the fountain terrace an angry mob was jeering and shouting down Captain America who had climbed up on the fountain in full uniform and was bellowing at the assembly.

“And another thing!” Steve said, ducking behind the shield as someone threw a beer bottle at him. “You’ll believe anything at all you see on TV and they’re all lying to you! There isn’t a broadcast news channel in this country that isn’t in the back pocket of a politician! Do your research!”

Several news network trucks ringed the area and most of the reporters looked as if they were going to start tossing things next. The others were grinning like sharks.

“Well, damn,” Tony sighed.

  
  



	10. 15

**9:26**

“So overall coordination between STRIKE teams and the Avengers has been going well,” Steve purposefully didn’t glance in the direction of Gamma STRIKE who were playing paper football in the back of the briefing room. He wasn’t entirely sure all three members of Beta weren’t asleep with their eyes open. “The raid over this past weekend on the Neo-Hydra lab did have a few more civilian casualties than we like.

“Most of you probably aren’t used to working in environments where civilian interaction is a likelihood,” Steve continued, looking back down at his notes, ignoring Alpha STRIKE who were snickering and elbowing each other. “The types of situations the Avengers are called out for are routinely going to be very public. If we’re going to maintain the confidence of the average citizen we’re going to have to rely on forceful crowd control only as a last resort.”

“Hey, we’re not all Captain America!” the team leader of Alpha STRIKE interrupted with a profane grin. “We can’t just pick out the HYDRA goons by looking at them!” Several of his teammates chuckled.

“It definitely puts you in a dangerous position,” Steve agreed. “This is why it’s absolutely imperative that teams stick together. Team leaders should decide who’s going to take the lead on civilian interaction, the rest of you need to be prepared to defend them in the event that things go off the rails. Lethally only if absolutely necessary.”

“Or we could just trank everyone and sort ‘em out later,” the Alpha STRIKE leader said. “It’s not like the civies do anything but get in the way.” Steve gave a funny little tilt of his head, circling around the table he’d been standing behind and walking up to the man. His grin widened and Steve returned his smile before drawing back his fist and punching the man full in the face, sending him sprawling into the floor in an unconscious heap.

“Now I don’t want you to misinterpret me,” Steve said casually into the dead silence as he walked back to his place. In the back of the room Gamma was frozen in mid-play. Beta STRIKE were sitting up unnaturally straight, their eyes wide. “These are dangerous threats and you’re definitely going to be faced with situations where you’re going to need to neutralize hostile actors. Some of them are going to be enemy combatants and some are going to be assholes with chips on their shoulders. Do your best to deliver a measured response. Any questions?”

  
  



	11. 18

**12:17**

“Cap?” Stark’s voice was cautious as he slipped out onto the roof of Avenger’s Tower. Steve peered down from his spot standing on the edge of the wall, watching the cars on Park. The wind ruffled his hair as Tony’s steps moved cautiously closer.

“Do you know I’ve never had any natural fear of heights?” Steve asked conversationally as he shifted his weight to the balls of his feet. “Howard was sure it was a side effect of the serum, I had to actually get Buck’s kid sister to vouch that I’d always been a reckless idiot.”

“Yeah that sounds like dad,” Tony replied, a hint of bitterness in his tone. He watched Steve for a long moment. He flinched minutely as Rogers shifted his stance again. “Look, I’m thinking in a previous loop I might have said something I maybe shouldn’t-”

“I already tried,” Steve cut him off. He let out a small, hollow laugh. “Well it didn’t work, obviously, I’m still in the loop. So you can cross off that theory.”

Tony grimaced, shoving his hands in his pockets. “No better reason to come down off the wall then.”

“You know, Howard and I got on because we were both impulsive and really good at leaping before we looked,” Steve continued, his emotional detachment returning as he squinted down at the street stories below them. “And he didn’t mind that I was better at it.”

“Can’t imagine the old man was happy being second best to anyone,” Tony said sarcastically.

“It’s why you and I butt heads,” Steve said with a wry smile. “We both want dibs on the stupid moves.” Tony’s eyes narrowed threateningly.

“You know what?” He said, his tone clipped. “Get the hell down from the wall. I didn’t come up here so you could yank my chain, you asshole. I should be down in the lab working on the damn sensors but instead I’m here listening to you wax nostalgic about how stupid you are.” Steve let out a huff of a sigh.

“No matter how many times I do this I keep screwing it up,” he shook his head. He glanced over his shoulder at Stark, flashing him a grin before leaping off the roof.

“Holy mother f-” 

Tony skidded up short at the edge of the wall, staring down into the street. He tilted his head to the side, his eyebrows arching. “JARVIS, did you know he was wearing one of the new emergency wingsuits?”

“I did not, Sir,” he replied. Tony nodded slowly as Captain America body-glided down Park Avenue getting dangerously low before his relatively tiny parachute finally deployed. “Had I been aware I should have informed you.” Steve came down hard on a sedan in the middle of 42nd street. Even from this distance Tony could hear the car horns.

“If he wants to be the biggest dumbass in Manhattan, let him,” Tony said, turning away from the wall with a mixture of equal parts amusement and ire. “I’m going back to the lab.”

“Shall I interfere in NYPD’s response time?” JARVIS asked as Stark headed back to the elevator. 

“Nah, don’t bother,” Tony replied. “Let him sit in the lockup a couple of hours, it’ll keep him out of trouble and I’ll get his bail money back at the end of the loop.”

  
  



	12. 21

**11:07**

“What’s going on over there?” Tony asked in a low voice, leaning into Bruce’s shoulder as he stared warily across the lab. Bruce looked up with a slight frown. On the other side of the room Clint and Steve stood facing each other, Clint’s hands flying so fast that it was difficult to make out the motions. 

“Sign language,” Bruce replied, returning his attention to his display. On the other side of the room Steve’s hands were rapidly moving. Clint reached out and slapped him before very deliberately making a sequence of motions that Steve repeated before continuing.

“I know it’s sign language,” Tony hissed back. “When did Buck Rogers learn to sign?”

“I don’t know,” Bruce shrugged, his eyes narrowing as he stared at the data. “Today, probably. One of them anyway.” 

“What are they talking about?” Tony demanded with a scowl.

“Don’t know,” Bruce hummed back, uncaring. Whatever Rogers was saying Barton had suddenly doubled up with laughter. Natasha crossed the lab behind him, slapping him in the back of the head. Clint turned to look at her and her hands snapped out in what Tony didn’t have to understand to recognize as an admonishment. He took a handful of steps back to his own workstation as Steve’s cheeks turned red.

“Jay, what are they talking about?” Tony muttered half under his breath.

“Am I to understand that you wish me to eavesdrop on a private conversation, sir?” JARVIS asked. Tony scowled.

“If it’s private why are they having it in my lab?” 

“Would it comfort you to know that they are not, at present, talking about you?” Jarvis questioned. Tony glanced over his shoulder at them. Natasha had joined the silent conversation and was slowly, deliberately signing with one hand while forcing Steve’s fingers to follow along with the other.

“Now I’m just insulted,” he sulked.

  
  



	13. 26

**13:33**

“Steven Grant Rogers!” Tony’s voice came over the coms. “You get your ass back to this tower!” Steve let out an evil giggle, banking around the Empire State Building and looping back toward Times Square.

“Captain,” JARVIS’s voice wasn’t nearly so cool and collected as Steve was used to hearing it. “Might I remind you, again, that without the rest of the suit the gauntlets and boots are unsafe at this velocity.”

“It’s okay, I’m wearing the helmet,” Steve replied gleefully, his eyes flicking over the HUD. One of the billboards had an ad for the Motorola Xoom mocking the newest StarkPad and he buzzed it on general principle before darting between the buildings toward 6th.

“When I get my hands on you, mister!” Tony was shouting into the coms now.

“JARVIS, can I mute him?” Steve asked curiously, waving to an ecstatic group of children in front of Radio City Music Hall and heading north. “He’s really distracting.

“No, you may not,” JARVIS replied. Steve shrugged, the sudden change in orientation making him momentarily lose his balance and he nearly caromed across the Pond at Central Park.

“Whoops.”

“Captain, would you  _ please _ return to the tower?” JARVIS’s tone was beseeching but he ignored it. Stark should never have admitted that the suit lockouts were all housed in the chest piece.

“Oh look! They’re feeding the sea lions!” he declared.

  
  



	14. 29

**10:27**

“What in the hell are you doing?” Tony demanded, folding his arms over his chest. Steve glanced up from his laptop only a moment, his attention immediately returning to his screen, his fingers flicking over the keys in a rapid staccato.

“I’m, um, hacking into the Ten Rings financial accounts,” He replied with a shrug. “And transferring the money to Doctors Without Borders.”

“You can’t hack.”

“I can now,” Steve replied, his eyes narrowing.

“I wasn’t even sure you could type,” Stark added, making a face.

“Actually the first thing I learned after the serum,” Steve said. “Howard thought it would be a great test of both adaptability and fine motor control.”

“Old Man had a point,” Tony nodded with a grudging frown.

“He didn’t think that one all the way though,” Steve continued, never looking up. “He taught me how to type and all I did was mess around with his stuff.” Tony let out a snort, shaking his head.

“He did that sometimes,” Steve said, frowning at his screen. “Get all excited about some new idea and then light into you when you used it some way he didn’t expect.”

“One of his go-to moves,” Tony agreed with a frown. Steve made a face, looking away from his screen properly.

“I didn’t mean-”

“My old man was usually too focused on getting the job done to worry about bruised feelings,” Tony said sharply. “Great men don’t have time to coddle.” 

“He was a great man,” Steve agreed, biting his lip. “One of the best I ever knew. But that isn’t enough to make anyone a good father.” Tony stared back at him with a stony expression.

“You self righteous son of a bitch.”

Steve watched as Stark spun on his heel, stalking out of the room and disappearing down the hall.

“Way to go, Rogers,” Steve muttered to himself, rubbing his forehead with a wince. “Well if at first you don’t succeed. How about we drown our sorrows by framing Hammer Tech for federal embezzlement?” His fingers flicked over the keyboard rapidly.

“Oh,” he said, his eyes widening. “No framing needed. Well, isn’t that interesting?”

  
  



	15. 32

**14:58**

“Here, put these on,” Iron Man said, holding out a pair of sunglasses. Steve looked down at them skeptically but didn’t move. The armor’s head tilted in a dramatic approximation of an eye roll.

“They’re tied into the HUD,” Iron Man waggled the glasses at him impatiently. “You can see all the data I’m seeing. Don’t break them, I’ve only got the one pair.” 

Steve took the glasses hesitantly, pulling back his cowl and slipping them on. He startled as they came online, data scrolling before his eyes.

“Wow,” he said tilting his head back and looking up at the ceiling. He reached out with both hands grasping at empty air, his mouth hanging open as he blinked dazedly. “Is that Yahoo Chat?”

“Don’t look at that.” Iron Man grabbed him by the front of his uniform, tugging him along in his wake as he started up the corridor toward the elevators.

“Doesn’t this get distracting?” Steve asked, his head bobbling as his eyes darted back and forth, his gait uneven.

“Sometimes.”

“Do you ever watch the ball game on here?” 

“No.” 

“Is that the Weather Channel?”

“Stark Satellite.”

“Could you make these for the whole team?”

Iron Man reached out and pushed the button for the elevator. “Yeah.”

“Are you going to?”

“No,” Tony shoved him through the door as it opened.

“Look right here,” Iron Man’s finger tapped the corner of the lenses as he stared at the floor beneath their feet. 

“Wow,” Steve said, tilting his head to the side.

“One of these things is not like the others,” Iron Man said in a mechanical sing-song.

“Where is that?” Steve asked, squinting at the readings.

“Looks like B2,” Iron Man replied. 

“Avengers, assemble on level B2,” Steve said.

“Widow and I are on our way down the fire stairs,” Hawkeye replied.

“Banner, take the lift down and hold for my signal.”

“Roger that, Cap,” Bruce replied. Steve frowned at the readings on his glasses. 

“Is it supposed to be doing that?” He asked as they slipped out of the lift, taking cover behind the nearest pile of storage crates.

“You’re the one that’s been to this debutante ball before,” Iron Man replied. “You tell me.”

“I’ve never gotten this far before,” Steve admitted giving his head a shake. 

“We’re in the stairwell on B2,” Natasha reported in. “Waiting for your signal, Cap.”

“Far as I can tell it’s in the North West corner,” Tony said. “About five or six yards across.”

“Incapacitate only, we might need this tech in tact to shut down the loop,” Steve added. “On my mark.” He turned to look at Iron Man, who gave him a sharp nod.

“Go!” 

Steve darted out around the edge of the crates at Tony launched into the air, flying low over the storage containers as Steve ran pell mell toward the north west corner. He raised the shield as he darted between a row of shelves, on his right Natasha stepped out from behind a tarp covered crate, her gun aimed at what he felt sure was some sort of forcefield. He heard the sharp retort as the handgun fired at the figure in a hazmat suit. The figure looked up, staring down the bullet that was racing toward them but instead of piercing them or glancing off the forcefield the bullet bounced back, hitting Widow square in the chest.

“Hold!!” Steve shouted in a panic, ducking behind the shield. “Hold fire!” But it was too late, Iron Man had already let off a repulsor blast that rebounded, slamming the suit into the ceiling. At the same moment one of Hawkeye’s explosive arrows landed in the floor at the base of the forcefield, the blast knocking the archer back into a row of shelves with an ear splitting crash.

“Shut it down!” Steve bellowed, his fist hitting the forcefield, the impact jarred his entire arm, nearly knocking him back. “Shut it down!” The hazmat suit clad figure turned toward him for only a moment before reaching out, pressing one of the buttons on the console in front of them. 

A blinding flash erupted from inside the forcefield, so hot it felt as if it were searing his skin, the light expanding until it seemed as if it would envelope the whole world.

  
  



	16. 33

**8:03**

“Earth to Cap,” Steve blinked at the fingers snapping in front of his face before tilting his head to look up at Stark who was frowning down at him. He leaned back in his chair, blowing out a breath and dragging his hands over his face.

“Man are you not getting any sleep?” Clint asked, taking an unreasonably large bite of his Cheerios as he stared at Steve across the kitchen table. Steve didn’t answer, watching out of the corner of his eye as Natasha crossed the kitchen behind Hawkeye, smacking him lightly in the back of the head. 

“Chew your food you swine,” she said, rolling her eyes as Clint grinned up at her, his cheeks stuffed with breakfast cereal like a squirrel stocking up for winter.

“It’s official,” Steve said with a sigh. “I’m in hell.”

**10:17**

“So we basically spent a month on a sensor array that didn’t work,” Tony said with a frown as Bruce studied one of the lab’s displays with narrowed eyes. Natasha was perched on a lab bench, her legs crossed in front of her. Steve was splayed out beside her, his face pressed to the surface of the bench as she rubbed the back of his neck. Clint had commandeered one of the rolling chairs, sitting in it backward, his arms crossed over the backrest.

“Well, the sensor worked,” Steve replied, his voice muffled by the lab bench. “Just not as fast as we hoped and none of our weapons had any effect on the forcefield.”

“And we all died,” Natasha added emotionlessly.

“Would you please stop reminding us of that?” Tony pleaded. He gave an exaggerated shudder. 

Bruce rubbed the bridge of his nose, displacing his glasses. “So what do we do now?”

“Well we built a thing to find the problem,” Steve said pushing himself half upright and scrubbing his face with his hands. “Now we’re going to need to build a thing to get to the problem.”

“I don’t even think that’s possible,” Clint shook his head, resting his chin on his arms. “I’m honestly impressed you guys could completely build a sensor array from scratch in less than six hours.”

“You’ve got a point there,” Tony nodded in agreement. “Technically we’re talking about a modification to existing hardware on the suit but looking at these schematics it’d take the fabricators just over four hours to get this done.”

“Four hours, eleven minutes,” Steve said though his hands.

“Fury’s in a mood,” Phil announced, coming in from the hall.

“Is it a good mood?” Stark asked with fake cheerfulness. Phill glared at him.

“I think you’ve tapped out Cap,” Natasha said with a frown. “Look at him.” Tony leaned over the lab bench with narrowed eyes.

“How’s your noodle, Wrinkle in Time?” He asked with a frown.

“Baked,” Steve replied, letting his hands fall away from his face and leaning back in his chair to stare at the ceiling.

“Yeah, we’re not getting anything else in there,” Tony nodded, reaching out to knock lightly on Steve’s forehead. “Hard drive’s full. We need a pre-existing solution to our problem here.”

“Do we know what the problem actually is?” Clint asked blandly.

“Well I’m going to go with no,” Tony replied. “On account of the fact that I’ve never heard of... kinetic rebound?” Bruce shrugged.

“I only got a glance at the readings from the Suit’s sensors before Iron Man went down,” Steve said, rubbing his forehead. “I doubt that’s going to be much help.” 

Tony frowned, blinking at Bruce a moment before turning to Steve. “You saw the readings?” 

“Yeah, you gave me your glasses,” Steve replied, his brow knitting in a wince.

“The ugly ones?” Clint asked, scooting his chair out of the line of fire of the pen Natasha threw at him. Steve nodded.

“They mirror the HUD, I can control the suit with them,” Tony explained.

“Doesn’t make them less ugly,” Clint observed.

“When I was wearing them they just showed the data readings,” Steve said. “You told me to be careful with them because you only had the one pair.”

“I really am a genius,” Tony said softly as if he were actually surprised.

“It’s good that the loop reset,” Phil frowned at him. “You’re still here to appreciate that.” Tony ignored him, pulling the pen from behind Bruce’s ear and holding it out to Steve.

“Write down what you saw.”

“I’m going to want that back,” Bruce scowled at him as Steve grasped a discarded notebook and began writing on the back of it.

“I’ll be damned,” Clint said, rolling his chair closer to lean over Steve’s shoulder. “Does that look like a space-time incursion to anyone else?”

“When this is all over we’re going to have a long damn conversation about who the hell you really are,” Tony said with a frown. Clint only shrugged.

“We should call Foster,” Natasha said, turning to Phil. “This is her bailiwick.”

“Thor’s girl?” Steve asked, looking up at her. “I didn’t realize this was her field. She’s brilliant.”

“When did you meet Jane Foster?” Natasha asked suspiciously. Steve ducked his head back down over his notebook like a recalcitrant student.

“Taco Tuesday,” he said, avoiding her gaze.

Her eyes narrowed threateningly. “Did you interrupt my gal pal date?”

“Not intentionally,” he replied, fiddling with his pen. “There was an incident. With a pair of roller skates. And some illegal fireworks.”

Phil pinched the bridge of his nose. “Call Foster.” Natasha gave him a sharp nod, still glaring at Steve as she summoned her phone from thin air. Clint threw both arms in the air in a silent cheer, spinning in the rolling chair as Phil shook his head, letting out a sigh.

  
  
  


**12:02**

  
  


“I’m just really excited to meet you,”Darcy Lewis declared, tilting her head back to look up at Steve with a distinctively thirsty expression. “Really excited.”

“It’s nice to meet you too,” he replied, his ears turning the faintest pink as he watched her cautiously.

“This is absolutely fascinating,” Doctor Jane Foster said breathlessly. Both hands were clutching at one of the transparent display as if she were holding a giant tablet. “This is literally the second most fantastic thing I’ve ever seen.”

“The first most fantastic thing she’s ever seen was a norse god falling on her van,” Clint added for context, leaning over her shoulder. Jane patted his chest with the back of her hand before pointing at a block of data and he nodded.

“It’s really hard to top divine intervention,” Natasha acknowledged.

“Seriously, who is Barton really?” Tony muttered to Bruce as they watched the pair communicating in largely hums and hand gestures. Bruce shook his head.

“I am  _ really _ excited to meet you,” Darcy repeated, her eyes raking slowly down Steve before returning to his face. “And I am going to climb you like Everest.” Steve jerked back nervously.

“Watch the ascent,” Tony warned, returning his attention to his own work. “you’ll get a nosebleed.”

“Promise?” Darcy asked with a profane grin. 

Natasha leaned into Phil’s shoulder. “Can I keep her?”

“No,” he replied.

“This is extraordinary,” Jane declared. “As far as I can tell this is actually some sort of subspace bubble.

“That would make sense,” Clint nodded, turning to glance at Steve. “You said we had trouble figuring out where our bad guy was hiding.” 

“Alright,” Tony said, looking up from his own display with a scowl. “Who are you really?”

“A guy with a bow,” Clint replied with a smarmy grin. Jane lightly slapped his arm, making a tutting noise in the back of her throat.

“He’s an ass is what he is,” Darcy said, wrinkling her nose. “An ass with a masters in Math.”

Tony turned to her, bemused. “Say what now?”

“I have half a masters,” Clint cut her off before she could answer, jabbing a finger at her. “From the University of West Florida Online, which I told you not to mention."

“I’ve read your thesis,” Darcy rolled her eyes. “I didn’t understand any of it which is how I know it’s good so stop editing it.”

“I did understand it,” Jane nodded, never looking away from her display. “Stop editing it.”

“And don’t start in with that ‘online college isn’t real college’ BS,” Darcy added, sticking her tongue out at him.

“Robin Hood is one of us?” Tony turned to Bruce who was blinking at the archer in shock.

“Hell no!” Clint protested. “I don’t mind throwing in my two cents now and again but I’m not joining your mad scientist club. I’m pursuing a degree in effectively sticking sharp pointy objects in things.”

“Today has been the weirdest month of my whole life,” Steve said with a sigh.

“You think this is weird try listening to a math prodigy convince everyone he’s illiterate for ten years,” Natasha replied with a huff.

“Well I have no way of telling if this is an intentional result or just a bizarre side effect,” Jane shook her head, frowning at the display. “Or some other device entirely. I have no idea what’s going on here.”

“She is so turned on right now, you have no idea,” Darcy sighed.

“Well we can figure all that out when it’s laying in pieces on my floor,” Tony replied. “We need a way to shut it down, how can we do that?”

“I don’t know,” Jane said. “I mostly try to make things like this, the only person I know who’s ever tried to stop things like this is-”

“Eric,” Darcy interrupted, nodding slowly. 

“Selvig?” Steve asked with a frown. “The guy who blows up the SHIELD labs?”

“Did he do that again?” Darcy asked, concern knitting her brow.

“It’s what he does,” Jane replied fatalistically. Darcy shrugged. “We should call him over to look at this.”

“We can’t,” Steve said, wincing. “He blew up the lab about ten minutes ago. He’s in medical.” Jane turned on him with wide eyes.

“He’s okay, Steve added quickly. “Just a mild concussion.”

“You’re just bringing this up now?” Clint asked with a disapproving frown.

Steve scowled back at him. “Well, when I brought it up before one of you ends up blown up or smashed.”

“Ow,” Tony said as he wrapped his arms around his chest.

“Eric’s been working on perfecting the technology he used in the Battle of New York to close the wormhole,” Jane said. “This isn’t the same thing but from what I know of his work I’m sure we can use that to disrupt this field.”

“So I need to go though the next loop, stop the lab accident and get Selvig to take a look at these readings?” Steve said, blowing out a breath.

“While also providing the schematics for the sensor adjustments,” Bruce reminded, removing his glasses to clean them on the corner of his lab coat.

“And keeping us all from being killed,” Tony added.

“Sure,” Steve nodded. “No problem.”


	17. 34

**12:22**

“I take it you didn’t see that coming,” Phil stated, a scowl creasing his brow. Steve slowly shook his head, staring through the hole in the side of Avenger's Tower. Even from this distance they could hear the feral roar of the Hulk and the terrified screams of the people on Park Avenue.

“Selvig’s dead,” Natasha said, her body language unnaturally rigid as she appeared at Steve’s other side. “Stark and Barton. It doesn’t look good.”

A SHIELD Black Hawk darted by, all three of them watched it go with dispassionate expressions.

“I’m feeling a bit put out,” Coulson announced his mouth pressing into a thin line.

“You are in so much trouble right now, Rogers, you have no idea,” Natasha declared. Steve flinched.

“Next loop then,” Steve said resignedly. There was the distant sound of shattering concrete and as one they leaned out of the side of the tower.

“Was that the Chrysler Building?” Steve asked, making a horrified face.

“It was,” Natasha replied, nodding.

“Do not bring Selvig to the tower in the next loop,” Phil said, each word clipped short. 

Steve nodded slowly, ignoring the concrete dust that stirred up from the street far below. “Right.”

  
  



	18. 36

**13:39**

“You had one job,” Tony said, clutching his forehead. Blood pooled beneath his fingers, trickling down into his eye. 

“That is a huge, massive lie, even for you,” Steve said through gritted teeth. SHIELD’s emergency containment sirens were blaring in the background as he pressed his jacket into the gash in Tony’s arm. 

“What about Coulson?” Tony asked. Steve ignored the question and he winced. “Fine, yeah, okay, next loop.”

“For the record, I have a massive number of jobs going on here,” Steve insisted. “It’s a lot of jobs Stark, a lot. And I need fewer jobs!”

“All of your jobs pale in comparison to keeping me alive,” Tony retorted.

“I’m going to remember that next round,” Steve replied icily.

“In the next round also remember not to let Selvig turn that thing on.”

“I don’t know how we’re supposed to use it if we don’t turn it on!” Steve said. Emergency medical responders swarmed the remains of the lab, one of them rushing to Steve’s side.

“You’re going to have to think of something.” Tony huffed, all but ignoring the medic and focusing his attention on Steve.

“Thinking of things isn’t my job!” Steve replied angrily as the medic scooted him aside, setting about treating the gash in Tony’s arm.

“No, your job is looking heroic and keeping me uninjured and you are not doing either of them!” Tony declared unrepentantly, he let out a pained yelp, turning his ire on the medic, his teeth bared in what was undoubtedly meant to be intimidation but lost some of its effect due to the blood on his teeth.

“Don’t worry,” Steve said blandly to the medic. “He’s had his vaccinations. I’ve had a heck of a time paper training him tough.”

“Lost cause, that,” Tony huffed, wincing in pain as Steve shrugged in resignation.

  
  



	19. 39

**13:37**

“Well, this is new,” Steve pressed his back into the overturned lab bench with a sigh. A feral roar shook the SHIELD labs, the walls rattling with it.

“This doesn’t make any sense,” Eric Selvig said with a perplexed frown. He was crouched almost entirely under the nearby overturned shelves as he pecked at the laptop sitting on the floor but otherwise he seemed disinterested in his surroundings. A server stack flew over his head, impacting the remains of the wall behind him but he didn’t flinch.

“I think my arm’s broken,” Clint admitted. His bow arm was pressed to his chest as he huddled at Steve’s side. There was a cut over his eye and his nose looked somewhat more crooked than usual.

“Not so new,” Steve rubbed his forehead.

“The energy conversion ratio,” Selvig explained, ducking as a centrifuge hit the shelf where his head had been.

“Why does the device keep blowing up!” Steve interrupted him.

“It didn’t blow up!” Selvig replied in exasperation. “When we initiated restart after the frequency adjustments it let out an EM pulse that blew out the electrical systems in the lab.”

“That started the fire, that freaked out the Hulk,” Clint huffed with a frown, flinching in obvious pain as Selvig continued his rambling mutterings. “Cap, not a big fan of your causality loop right now, and I want it on record that this was a stupid idea and don’t do it again.”

“When Bruce wasn’t here the explosion completely obliterated the device,” Steve replied though gritted teeth.

“When Bruce is here Hulk completely obliterates the lab,” Clint pointed out. 

Steve let out a frustrated sigh. “Yep, we’ll give it another go.”

“I want off the next loop.”

“You’re not going to know either way,” Steve pointed out, all but ignoring Selvig who was in the middle of an emotional tirade about quarks.

“I’m going to rely on your honesty and forthrightness,” Clint insisted.

“I lied on my enlistment forms five times.”

Clint turned a basilisk glare on him and Steve’s shoulders stiffened. A rolling chair flew over their heads.

“You’re off next loop,” Steve gave a firm nod.

“Thank you,” Clint replied.

  
  



	20. 43

**13:53**

“Hezenberg was a jerk,” Steve let out a cough, tiling his head back to look up at the mass of twisted rebar and concrete hemming them in. SHIELD emergency sirens were blaring but the sound was far away, muffled by half a building that had fallen in on them.

“Well you’d certainly be old enough to know,” Tony observed a wet cough rattling his chest. He choked on a groan of pain as Steve shifted, pressing down on the puncture wound in Stark’s side.

“This secure lab seems less secure than I was led to believe,” Jane Foster declared, rubbing debris and dust away from her mouth and nose with her sleeve.

“What went wrong?” Steve asked.

“I don’t know,” she replied with a hapless shrug, picking up a hunk of mangled metal and staring at it a moment before tossing it aside. “There’s nothing of it left to even guess.”

“You got it to start up before,” Steve growled in frustration.

“Yes, but I don’t remember that!” she said. The ceiling gave an ominous creaking sound, concrete dust raining down on them.

“You’re sure about this whole loop thing?” Jane asked, staring up at what was left of the floor above them. Steve gave a shaky nod in reply and she answered it with a firm nod of her own. “Okay then, I’m just going to go scream for help.” She clambered to her feet, stumbling over broken walls as she called out for rescue. Steve gritted his teeth, focusing his attention on where his hands were using Tony’s jacket as a makeshift bandage, blood soaking the linen. 

“Cap?” Tony coughed.

“I don’t know how to stop this,” Steve declared, a waver in his voice.

“Yeah you do,” Tony said. 

“Every time we’ve tried to start it up without Bruce it explodes and every time he’s here the Hulk wrecks the lab. I don’t... I can’t...”

“Steve,” Tony’s voice softened. “Come on, you know what to do. You’re the only one who does.”

“But I can’t do it on my own,” Steve protested, turning to look at him with hollow eyes.

“No you can’t,” Tony nodded, blood staining his lips as a rattling cough shook his shoulders. He let out a groan, looking up at Steve with glassy eyes. “Do you know why the team trusts you? You’re lousy at manipulating people.” Steve made to protest but Tony cut him off.

“You’re a team player kind of guy,” Tony continued, wincing against the pain. “You always want everyone on the same page. And I’m not saying that’s bad, most of the time it works. But sometimes, sometimes you have to keep the whole book to yourself and only pass out the pages to the people who need them. Sometimes it’s the only way to keep everyone alive.”

“I don’t know if I can do that,” Steve said swallowing thickly.

“The team trusts you to have their back, no matter what,” Tony said.

“Even you?” Steve asked derisively. Tony gave him a crooked smile.

“Trust them to believe in you,” he said. “They won’t let you down, Cap.” 

There was the shrill creak of bending rebar and the snap of concrete and Steve dove forward, his chest and arms shielding Tony’s head as more dust and debris rained down on the containment lab. He could hear the distant shouts of the rescue crew warning of collapse and, under the rumble of falling cinder block, Jane’s frightened shriek. The remains of the containment lab settled and he tilted his head back, looking up at the ceiling that was ominously closer than it had been a moment before.

“The whole place is coming down, we’ve got to get out of here,” He said, peering through the thick fog of dust. “What do you figure the chances are I can punch our way out before the ceiling crushes us?” He made a face at the blood pooling around the edges of the makeshift bandage, pressing down on the wound. It was a moment before he realized there had been no response.

“Stark?” Steve wiped the grit in his eyes away on his sleeve, frowning down at Iron Man.

“Tony?” he choked out, his voice wavering. “Tony?”


	21. 46

**8:03**

“Earth to Cap,” Steve blinked at the fingers snapping in front of his face before tilting his head to look up at Stark who was frowning down at him. Steve slumped in his chair, letting out a breath.

“Man are you not getting any sleep?” Clint asked, taking an unreasonably large bite of his Cheerios as he stared at Steve across the kitchen table. Steve didn’t answer, watching out of the corner of his eye as Natasha crossed the kitchen behind Hawkeye, smacking him lightly in the back of the head. 

“Chew your food you swine,” she said, rolling her eyes as Clint grinned up at her, his cheeks stuffed with breakfast cereal like a squirrel stocking up for winter. Steve blinked slowly, his brow furrowing. He looked at Clint for a long moment and his eyes narrowed. 

“Natasha, I wouldn’t ask you to take over the Strike briefing but is there any way you could come with me just to keep them in line?” Steve asked cautiously, a pained look wrinkling his nose.

“I’m a little hurt you’re asking her to be the heavy,” Clint said with a frown.

“Why?” Tony asked curiously. Clint shrugged.

“I made plans, sorry,” She replied with a frown.

“I haven’t got anything on my schedule today,” Clint said with a shrug. “I’ll go with you to the Strike briefing.” Natasha let out a cough that sounded like ‘kissass’.

“Are you sure?” Steve asked, turning to him with obvious relief.

“You look like shit, man,” Clint replied, drinking the milk out of the bottom of his bowl in two gulps. “And you’re right those guys are a handful. You run the briefing, I’ll keep them from being total assholes.”

“Thanks Clint,” Steve said with genuine gratefulness.

Natasha gave them both a droll smile. “Good luck with that.”

“Um, Stark, before we head out,” Steve slowly stood to his feet. “I need to talk to you about something.”

“Shoot, Freezer Pop,” Tony replied, stuffing his mug into the k-cup machine and jamming the button.

“Not here,” He looked first at Clint and then at Natasha before turning back to Tony.

“I’m not offended at all,” Clint observed sarcastically.

“It’s,” Steve paused, glancing at Natasha again. “Personal.” Tony gave him a calculating look.

“Sure,” he said finally, nodding out toward the hall.

“We’re leaving for SHIELD in thirty minutes,” Phil announced, appearing in the kitchen doorway, Bruce trailing after him, all his attention focused on the Stark Pad he was carrying.

“I’ll just be a minute,” Steve promised, following Tony out into the corridor and jogging toward the lift as the doors opened.

“What’s got your knickers in a twist this morning,” Tony asked as the doors closed.

“JARVIS, do not tase me,” Steve said at the ceiling. “Override Code: Kit Walker.”

“Override code accepted,” JARVIS replied, a hint of wariness in his tone.

“Do not put me in the Hulk Cage either because I will make your life hell,” Steve added, shaking a finger at Tony.

“Wow,” 

  
  


“I’m trapped in a causality loop,” Steve said. “At 3:15 pm the Avengers encounter an unknown threat at a SHIELD facility called the Clubhouse, we spent some of the previous loops developing a sensor array capable of detecting it. I have the schematics, I need you and Jarvis to get to work making the modifications to the suit.”

“Okay,” Tony replied poking Steve in the chest with one irritated finger, “That has got to be the stupidest-”

“You had a Captain America doll,” Steve cut him off. “You got it for your second birthday.”

“Everyone knows that, Cap,” Tony replied with a glower as the elevator doors opened and he stomped toward his lab. “There’s photos of me on the red carpet in a tiny blue leisure suit dragging that thing in my wake.”

“What everyone doesn’t know is that you didn’t call it Cap,” Steve continued, following him into the lab. “You called it Steve-o because that’s what Howard called me. You slept with it until you were eleven and Howard tried to take it from you when you were three, not because he had a problem with it but because you constructed a fully functioning parachute out of your bed sheets and jumped out of the third floor window with it. And that’s why he let you into his lab when you were still in preschool, because he was terrified that if he didn’t teach you himself you were going to break your neck.” Tony froze, his coffee cup half way to his mouth.

“I’ll be damned.” 

“We don’t have a lot of time,” Steve insisted, grasping hold of the nearest display, his fingers flying over the keyboard.

“How the hell?” Tony gaped at him, making a choking sound as Steve grabbed up the stylus, annotating notes onto the screen.

“I don’t have time to explain,” He continued.

“How many of these loops have you done?” Tony asked, his expression shocked.

“A few,” Steve admitted as he continued to feed plans into the computer.

“I’ll say,” Tony nodded.

“You can’t tell the others,” Steve added, turning to him.

“Sure,” Tony shrugged sarcastically. “Care to explain why?” Steve paused, his fingers tightening on the stylus as if he were holding on for dear life.

“I would,” he said, turning back to the display. “I really would. But for right now I need you to... trust me.”

Tony’s eyes narrowed in clear suspicion and he took another sip of his coffee as he pinned Steve with a beady-eyed stare.

“Fine,” he nodded finally. “But I want a damn explanation by tonight.”

“If we’re successful I can do that,” Steve agreed readily, biting his lip as he continued to type. “I’m going to need you to call Bruce and get him out of SHIELD later, I’ll text you and let you know when.”

“Do I want to know why?” Tony asked sarcastically.

Steve shook his head. “If you have time it’d be great if you tied the sensor readings into the glasses too.”

“I can probably do that,” Tony nodded in reply. He froze, giving Steve a horrified look. “Well, shit.”

  
  
  


**11:41**

“I don’t get why he needles you one minute and acts like he’s kissing your ass the next,” Clint shook his head, keeping pace with Steve as his long strides carried him down the halls of SHIELD.

“Really don’t care.” Steve replied shuffling around the pair of senior agents who had just stepped off the lift. “I’m starving, let’s see if Banner’s free for lunch.” 

“Are you having some kind of crisis or psychotic break or something?” Clint asked, his brow furrowing as he pressed the button for R&D.“Because you’re being weird even for you.” Steve leaned back against the wall.

“I’ve been under a lot of stress lately,” Steve admitted.

“Dude, you’ve been under a lot of stress since before the Cold War,” Barton continued. “And I know I got no room to talk since I’m kind of the voice of experience on mental instability on this team.”

“Really?” Steve asked, his brows arching curiously.

“Well,” Barton paused, giving it careful thought. “I’m at least in the top four.”

“Of a seven man team,” Steve added.

“Pretty sure Phil’s sane,” Clint nodded consideringly. “Anyway, there’s a whole plethora of mental health options available to you in this century.” The elevator doors opened and they headed down the hall.

“What I’m taking away from this is that it’s no longer socially acceptable to swear and wave a broom at the neighborhood kids for walking too close to my door,” Steve said with a wry smile.

“The forties were weird, man,” Hawkeye said nodding slowly.

“Hey, Bruce, you want to get lunch?” Steve asked, grasping Clint by the arm and steering him in front of the lab bench Banner was working at.

“Just let me finish this analysis,” Banner replied, squinting at a digital model on his computer screen. Steve swept up a stylus off the far end of the bench and slapped it in Clint’s hand. Barton stared down at it in confusion for a moment. “Could you hand me... Thanks Barton.”

“How’s the project coming, Doctor Selvig?” Steve asked with forced cheerfulness, reaching out as Selvig turned his back and flicking a switch from on to off.

“It could be better, Banner fixed the radiation problem,” Selvig mumbled around the pen clutched between his teeth as he glared at his calculations. Steve turned his back to Selvig’s array of equipment, flicking another series of switches before prying one of the components free and jamming it in his pocket.

“Well, good luck, Doctor,” Steve said. Selvig let out a grunt in reply and Steve turned two dials and changed the positions of three more switches before turning back to Clint and Bruce. “I’m starving.”

“What the hell are you doing?” Hawkeye asked with narrowed eyes as Steve pulled his phone from his pocket, checking his text messages.

“What?” Steve asked innocently. Clint glared back at him but the Captain seemed not to notice. Bruce’s phone rang.

“Are you coming or not?” Bruce asked without preamble as he picked up the call. A frown crinkled his brow. “Tony, that’s stupid... no... oh god, no. Just. Stay where you are, I’m coming home.”

“No lunch?” Steve asked with what Hawkeye felt certain was feinted disappointment.

“Can I get a lift back to the tower?” Bruce asked, hurriedly gathering his things, Clint eyes narrowed to bare slits as he glared between them. “Eric, I’m going to have to come back to this later.” Selvig only grunted in reply, his pen still caught between his teeth as he stared at his screen.

“Come on, I only bought us a couple of extra minutes,” Steve muttered half under his breath.

“What exactly’s going on here?” Barton asked suspiciously as Steve followed Bruce out into the corridor. 

“What?” Steve gave him an innocent smile, hustling Barton into the elevator ahead of him and mashing the lobby button as Bruce crammed his notes into his bag. The doors had just closed when the explosion went off.

  
  


**13:07**

“I don’t know,” Jane Foster sighed, stirring her taco salad absently as she stared into the middle distance. “I’m not having any luck with the resonance at all. Maybe I’m just not smart enough for this. I thought about calling Fury and telling him I don’t know what I’m doing and I’m going to need help working out the math. At least then he won’t pull my funding.”

“Take my advice, don’t call him,” Natasha said, chasing the lettuce that had fallen out of her taco with her fork. “He’s already forgotten how much money he gave you, don’t draw attention to yourself.”

“That is a lot of money to forget about,” Jane replied disbelievingly. Natasha only laughed. 

“If you want to send me your numbers I can get someone to look at them,” she offered.

“Would you?” Jane asked, her liquid brown eyes growing in size. “I am so over my head.”

“You have a serious case of impostor syndrome and you need to do something about that,” Natasha observed.

“Therapy didn’t work,” Jane replied, taking a bite of her salad. “How’s your whole Avengering thing going?”

“My team are all idiots,” Natasha declared cheerfully.

“So nothing’s changed for you, then,” Jane said. Natasha flashed her a wicked smile.

“Hey, Taco Tuesday!”

Both women froze, turning their heads slowly to look up at the figure hovering over their sidewalk table.

“You’re Captain America,” Jane said in confusion.

“And you’re Doctor Jane Foster” he nodded, taking a seat in the chair between them. 

Natasha’s lips curled down in obvious irritation. “Steve.”

“I only need a minute,” he interrupted, reaching into his pocket and placing a small metal cylinder on the table.

“Ooo, what’s that?” Jane asked excitedly, reaching for the device as Steve pushed it toward her with one finger.

“It’s a subspace field inverter,” Steve replied as Jane inspected the controls.

“Where did you get that?” Natasha asked, her eyes narrowed in suspicion. Steve turned to look at her, hesitating a moment.

“I stole it,” he admitted finally. Natasha’s eyebrows arched in what was surly surprise but she said nothing and he turned back to Jane. “I need you to set it to a rotating frequency and reactivate it.”

“Well it’s not really set up for that,” She said with a frown as she studied the readings. “Eric and I worked on something like this actually and it... this is Eric’s work. Who did you steal this from?”

“Doctor Foster, this is very important,” Steve replied, ignoring the question. “Lives depend on it. I need you to make the adjustments to the inverter and reactivate it.” Jane frowned, her nose wrinkling as she examined the device.

“Well, I suppose I could,” she hummed thoughtfully tapping at the controls with her thumbs. 

“Steve, what’s going on?” Natasha asked as he leaned back in his chair, folding his arms over his chest.

“It’s kind of complicated,” he replied, his gaze never straying from Jane as she worked.

“Steve.”

“I know I’m asking a lot, I know that,” he admitted uneasily, his eyes darting toward her only a moment. “But for right now I need you to trust me.” Natasha frowned at him, a sharp, displeased look furrowing her brow but she didn’t object.

“Actually I think that should do it,” Jane said, Steve sat up ramrod straight, drawing in a sharp breath. “Now we just-” She pressed one of the buttons and the device let out an energy pulse, shorting out the string of lights that hung over the restaurant patio and knocking out the electric in the adjoining shops.

“Great! Thanks!” he said, snatching the device from her and bolting to his feet. Horns were honking out in the street where the traffic light had gone dark.

“That is a hell of an EM pulse,” Jane blinked in surprise. 

“Lovely to meet you, Doctor,” Steve said, giving Natasha a nod before taking off at a brisk trot in the direction of Avengers Tower.

“What just happened?” Jane asked, bewildered.

“My team are all idiots,” Natasha replied, perturbed as she bit into her taco.

  
  
  


**14:54**

Steve rounded the last corner toward the rear elevators, darting a look back down the corridor before pulling off his cowl and placing Stark’s glasses on his nose. He glanced over the readings a moment before drawing in an unsteady breath.

“Okay, Hawkeye, you and Widow clear the top two floors, Iron Man, check the second floor,” he said, reaching out to hit the elevator call button. He heard the telltale click of the com channel switching to private.

“Cap, I’m getting readings from somewhere under the first floor men’s room,” Iron Man said.

“Yep,” Steve said, boarding the lift. The silence that followed was incredibly loud in its ring of judgement.

“You better have a hell of a good explanation for this, Capcicle,” he grumbled, switching the channel. Steve let out a breath.

This is a nightmare,” he murmured to himself, slipping out of the elevator. There was another click on the coms and he stopped.

“Before you say anything, Bruce, I need you to trust me, I know what I’m doing,” Steve said. There was a long pause and Steve grimaced.

“Steve.” 

“Please, Bruce,” he insisted. “I just need twelve minutes, I’ll explain everything.”

“Okay,” Bruce replied, lowering his voice to barely a whisper. “But Coulson is going to notice that you’re inside solid ground under the facility and I don’t think I can distract him from that.”

“I know that,” Steve replied, prowling slowly down between several stacks of crates. “All I’m asking is that you don’t tell him.” The private channel switched off and he winced, edging his way between a row of storage shelves. 

“Readings coming from the South West corner,” Steve muttered to himself as he crept forward. “Stark’s pissed at me, Banner’s pissed at me, Romanov probably wants to dissect me. Again. So that means.”

He stopped in the middle of the row, very slowly holding his hands out at his sides. “Before you shoot me, Clint, let me explain.”

“This had better be the most damn fantastic explanation of all time, Cap,” Hawkeye declared, his tone cold and detached as he materialized out of the shadows between the crates, his bow fully drawn and trained on Steve’s head. “Because you are creeping the hell out of me.” Steve drew in an unsteady breath.

“I’ve seen all this before,” he said. “I know what’s going to happen. I know how to stop it.”

“Bullshit,” Clint replied, his jaw ticking in anger.

“I can stop it,” Steve insisted. “But I don’t have much time, please.”

“Bullshit,” Hawkeye spat out. “Cap would never let his team fly in blind. Never. He wouldn’t keep us out of the loop if he had intel.” Steve couldn’t help but smile.

“If I don’t, someone could get killed,” he insisted, his expression turning serious once more. “It’s not Loki, Clint, it’s not. I know what you’re thinking, but it’s not. Please, I don’t think I can lose anyone else, please, just trust me. Let me fix this.”

Clint’s hands flexed on his bow, his lips pressed in a thin line. “I’m going to watch every move you make.”

“And you’re going to shoot me if I make a wrong one,” Steve nodded in agreement, still holding his hands out at his sides as he slowly edged past the archer. Hawkeye’s aim never wavered and finally Steve turned his back on him, picking up his pace as he headed down through the stacks.

“He’s going to shoot me again,” Steve mumbled under his breath. “He’s going to shoot me in the back and I’m going to have to do this all over.” His eyes flicked over the readings from Stark’s glasses and he checked his watch as he edged up along one of the tarp covered crates.

“Okay,” he nodded slowly, drawing the subspace field inverter from one of the pockets on his belt. “Show time.”

He crouched down, pressing the button on the side of the device before rolling it out across the floor. It clattered merrily along with a light pinging sound and the hazmat suit clad figure inside the field looked up, but from this angle they wouldn’t have been able to see. Steve made a face, gritting his teeth as a blinding flash of light burst from the forcefield and he sprang forward, his hand gun drawn as the emergency sirens began to blare. The figure inside the forcefield was crouched over one of the control panels, their head wobbling dazedly inside their hood and Steve raised his shield, charging them. They went airborne, landing on the floor like a rag doll, the hood flying free as they tumbled to a stop and Steve rolled forward on the balls of his feet aiming his pistol at the curtain of long brown hair over her face.

“Turn it off,” he snapped as the woman pushed herself half upright on shaky arms.

You can’t stop me,” she said, her voice trembling as she brushed her hair from brown liquid eyes, gazing up at him from the floor. “You can’t even threaten me. There’s only minutes left until it all begins again.”

“Whatever it is you’re trying to do here it’s not woking!” he snarled back at her.

“It is working!” She insisted, her face contorting in a pained expression. “It’s just not working long enough yet!” 

Steve gaped at her for a moment. “What?”

“I just have to lengthen the loop,” she replied, desperation seeping into her tone. “This is the only chance I have, if I shut it down SHIELD will  _ never _ let me start it up again.” Steve stared down at her, tears streaming down her face as she sat unmoving on the dusty basement floor.

“You’re trying to change the past,” He said, with dawning horror.

“If I can just go back far enough he wouldn’t have to die,” She was pleading with him now, her shoulders shaking as she huddled on the floor. “None of them would have had to die. All those people, all those lives. I could save all of them! Please, just give me a chance to save him!” Steve stared at her for a long moment, tears streaming down her face. He returned his pistol to its holster, kneeling on the floor in front of her.

“What’s your name?”

“Alyssa,” She replied, dragging her wrist over her eyes.

“Who did you loose on September eleventh, Alyssa?” he asked gently. Her face contorted in a pained expression.

“My fiancé, Teddy,” she said, her voice wavering. “He was in the South tower. He didn’t even work there, he had a meeting. A stupid sales pitch about network security.”

“I’m so sorry,” Steve shook his head. “I really am, but you can’t change the past.”

“You can!” She replied desperately. “You’ve been doing it!”

“Even if you could go back-”

“You of all people should understand,” Alyssa insisted, drawing in a choked breath like a sob. “If I can make it work you can go back, to your friends, to the woman you loved. You can go back! Just, just let me finish it. You and I are the only ones who know. I promise when I fix it I’ll send you back. Think of the people you could save. You could end The War. We could change the world. We could save all of them.”

Steve stared at her, pain etched on her face as fresh tears spilled over and he drew in a shaky breath, reaching out gently to take her hand.

“Loss is a part of life,” Steve said, his own voice shaking. “If there’s anything I’ve learned from this it’s that no matter how hard you try you can’t change that. I would give anything, anything at all to have back the people I lost but I can’t. No one can. Every choice we make leads forward, not back. I have done this so many times and each one I have lost. Even if you can make it work the way you want... can you do that? Watching him die over and over while you scramble for a way to save him? I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.” Alyssa let out a sob, pressing her hand to her mouth

“Let him go,” he said gently. “Let him rest. If he loved you he wouldn’t want you to be stuck here, he’d want you to go forward.”

“I don’t know how,” she admitted, burying her face in her hands.

“Turn it off,” he pleaded, “And I swear I’ll help you.”

“Pull the power to the computer,” she choked out. Steve turned, reaching for the single power cord of the laptop balanced on the rolling bench. There was a whining sound as the system went off line, lights on the control panel slowly winking out. Alyssa curled in on herself, drawing her knees to her chest with a heart wrenching sob and Steve glanced over his shoulder to find Clint standing along the nearest row of shelves, his bow in his hands but his eyes shining. Natasha was only a few yards behind him, her expression stony, Tony beside her, the faceplate raised and a flinch of pain on his face, Phil and Bruce were farther back, both of them looking decidedly uncomfortable. Steve gave them all a firm nod.

“It’s going to be okay,” he murmured, turning back to Alyssa, holding out a hand to her and drawing her into his arms as she wept. “It’ll be okay.”

  
  



	22. Tuesday Night

**21:37**

“So I just kept at it,” Steve said with a sigh, stuffing his empty takeout container into the plastic bag sitting on the coffee table. “Memorizing schematics, trying new strategies, I figured eventually I had to get it right without killing the whole team.”

“That is the single most hellish thing I’ve ever heard,” Clint declared, scooping lo mein out of his carton with his chopsticks. 

“How long were you doing this?” Bruce asked, he’d poured his wonton soup into a coffee mug, sipping at it from his spot curled up in one of the arm chairs. Steve gave an evasive shrug, accepting the carton of fried rice Natasha handed him with a thank you.

“I can’t believe I’m saying this but we should probably have some kind of time loop protocol,” Coulson said, stirring the remains of his sweet and sour chicken absently as he leaned into the bar.

“Yeah an official one this time,” Steve nodded, rubbing his eyes. “One that won’t get me punched in the face.”

“Ow,” Tony observed, rounding the bar to reach for the scotch.

“Or shot,” Steve added.

“Ow,” Tony repeated.

“Who shot you?” Natasha asked with a grin, sitting down on the arm of the chair Clint was in and sticking her chopsticks in his container, stealing one of his shrimp. “I bet it was Clint, was it Clint?” Steve only gave her an annoyed look.

“I want to know who punched him in the face,” Tony said thoughtfully.

“Oh, that was me,” Natasha said with confidence, waving him off. 

“I can’t believe we’re even discussing this,” Tony shook his head. “Forgetting all of this shouldn’t even be possible, how did Cap end up trapped in the loop to begin with?"

“According to Doctor Moy it was dumb luck,” Coulson replied, taking the scotch Tony held out to him with a nod of thanks. “She’d localized the field to just a few yards from the device. If he hadn’t been standing right there when it activated who knows how long this might have gone on. No one would have known.”

“What do I keep telling you about charging in without thinking?” Clint asked, throwing his hands in the air and nearly spilling his noodles. 

“Pot, kettle,” Natasha replied, making another stab at his container. Clint tried to fend her off with his chopsticks, the pair of them pecking at each other like angry crows.

“How is Alyssa doing?” Bruce asked, ignoring the government agents who were acting more like five year olds. Clint made a squawking noise as Natasha slipped by his defenses, stabbing his hand with her chopsticks.

“Fury said that as soon as they finish the debrief she’s on medical leave,” Steve replied around bites of fried rice. “SHIELD has a PTSD recovery facility on a beach in Florida. They’ve dealt with things like this before.”

“She’ll get the help she needs,” Phil insisted, clearing the detritus of their takeout from the bar. “I’ll see to it personally.”

“Keep me posted,” Tony declared, snagging the last rangoon. “And if it looks like it’d be in her best interests I’ll offer her a position at SI.”

“Thanks, Stark,” Steve said, giving him a wane smile and tossing the empty takeout carton into the trash can Phil held out for him.

“Brain like that, can’t let it go to waste,” Tony replied dismissively. 

“What about you, are you okay?” Natasha asked with a frown. She was still sitting on the arm of Clint’s chair but she now had possession of his chopsticks as well as the take out container he’d been eating from. Clint had clearly given it up as a bad job, an egg roll dangling from his mouth like an oversized cigar as worry knitted his brow.

“Not really,” Steve admitted. “But I figure I’ll get there eventually.”

“What I want to know is how the Pink Ranger knew you were in the basement,” Tony said. Bruce let out a groan of protest as Natasha fired one of Clint’s chopsticks at him. 

Clint removed the egg roll from his mouth with a smug look. “Kimberly was hot.”

“I sent him,” Coulson admitted, sweeping the trash on the coffee table into the bin he held in one motion. Everyone turned to look at him. “He stopped by my office and said he’d observed some disturbing behavior from Cap. I put him on surveillance detail.” Steve winced. Clint only arched his eyebrows in amusement, returning his egg roll to his mouth.

“Well this day has been fascinating,” Bruce said, draining his mug. “At least what I can remember of it. But I’ll be turning in and hoping tomorrow is far less interesting.”

“I still have paperwork to file for this debacle,” Coulson nodded in agreement. 

“Do you want me to put together the time loop protocol?” Natasha offered, jamming all three chopsticks into the carton and handing it back to Clint as she rose to her feet.

“If you wouldn’t mind,” Phil nodded. “I want to get that in place asap.”

“I’ll help,” Clint offered, scarfing down the last of the noodles as he followed Natasha out. “‘Night!” Steve watched them go, letting out a breath.

“You know, I’m curious,” Tony said with a frown, dropping a tumbler of scotch on the end table at Steve’s elbow as he crossed to the other sofa, sprawling out in the plush leather. “All those loops, did you ever take advantage of the opportunity?”

“You’ve actually asked me that before,” Steve admitted, swirling the glass with a contemplative expression. Tony motioned for him to go on but Steve only smiled, sipping his scotch.

“I feel like I’m being cheated here,” Tony gave him a dry smirk. Steve settled back into the sofa, his eyes fixed on his glass with a far off look.

“I thought I knew what I was getting,” Steve said finally, letting his head fall back until he was staring up at the ceiling. “When you and I met. I’d seen your file and I’d seen you on TV and I knew Howard. And I thought I knew what I was getting.”

“Only worse,” Tony added wryly.

“I’m convinced ‘worse than Howard Stark’ isn’t a real thing,” Steve replied, his smile fond despite his words. “Howard and I got on because we were both risk takers. I loved him like a brother but he was careless with other people, with their safety more than anything. But I knew what to say to keep him from taking it too far, I knew which buttons to push. I push those same buttons on you and there’s an explosion.” 

“Yeah, well, don’t expect to have much luck with that,” Tony replied sourly.

“I should have never tried it at all,” Steve admitted. “I made a lot of wrong calls today, some of the versions of today. Calls that compromised safety. And I don’t think I would have made the right ones without your help.”

“I’m a problem solving kind of guy,” Tony snarked back. His eyes narrowed. “How many times did you practice that?”

“A few,” Steve replied with a self-deprecating smile. Tony gave a dry chuckle.

“Here’s to tomorrow,” he said, raising his glass. “If we keep moving toward it maybe yesterday won’t catch up to us.” 

Steve let out a snort of amusement, raising his glass. “I’ll drink to that.”

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Not sure what's happening next here, but stick around. You can never tell when inspiration, or lightening, will strike.  
> [niennanir.tumblr.com](http://niennanir.com)


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